The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has raised alarm over what it described as a conflict of interest in Nigeria’s biotechnology regulatory system, warning that the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could overwhelm the country if oversight remains compromised.
PeacePro noted that those charged with regulating GMOs are often the same people promoting them, sometimes with foreign funding, creating a conflict of interest that could put national security, food sovereignty, and public health at risk.
The Executive Director of PeacePro, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, said while biotechnology offers opportunities in agriculture and health, the risks of GMOs are well documented globally and compromised regulatory agencies are a threat to Nigeria’s food security.
According to Hamzat, Ecological damage, Loss of indigenous seed sovereignty, Corporate monopoly over food systems and Potential health concerns are amongst possible danger, warning that Nigeria cannot afford to gamble with these risks under a compromised regulatory framework, some of whom are being funded by foreign promoters of GMO.
“It is illogical to expect those actively promoting biotechnology, sometimes with external funding, to serve as impartial referees on the safety and risks of GMOs,” Hamzat said.
“Biotechnology is too important to Nigeria’s future to be left in conflicted hands. Regulators must be independent, transparent, and accountable to the Nigerian people.”
PeacePro emphasized that unlike countries such as India and Brazil, which deliberately separate promoters from regulators to guarantee independence, Nigeria continues to blur the lines, leaving its biosafety framework vulnerable to external influence.
Hamzat recommend immediate overall and urgent reforms, including separating mandates between promoters and regulators, opening biosafety decisions to public scrutiny, strengthening parliamentary oversight, and investing in independent scientific research within local universities.
He concluded that Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads and it either reform its regulatory system to protect citizens, or it risks exposing its food system, environment, and health to long term dangers disguised as short term technological fixes.
