The Federal Government says it will begin the labelling of genetically modified (GM) crops to ensure transparency, traceability, and public confidence in their use.
Director of Food and Drug Service at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mr. John Atanda, made this known in Abuja during a sensitisation workshop on GMOs for Directorate Officers, organised by the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB).
Atanda explained that the ministry will collaborate with agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Biotechnology Management Agency (NBMA) to enforce proper labelling of GMO products. He stressed that the government remains committed to public health and will subject all biotechnology products to rigorous risk assessments, covering allergenicity, nutritional value, long-term health impacts, and environmental effects.
Speaking at the workshop, OFAB Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Rose Gidado, highlighted that GMOs have been safely used for over 30 years in more than 45 countries. She dismissed fears about their dangers, saying: “The government cannot give poison to its people. If GMOs truly destroyed crops, Nigeria would have been wiped out by hunger by now.”
Gidado further emphasised that GM crops are products of evidence-based research and warned that without serious investment in research and development, Nigeria risks continued dependence on food importation.
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