Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) continues its advocacy for greater acceptance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria. The Nigerian public is misinformed about the safety and benefits of GMOs. Therefore, those promoting biotechnology and GM crops in Nigeria should use better communication strategies to dispel false information spread by conspiracy theorists and individuals with commercial interests.
GMO foods have been consumed in the United States and many countries for the last 30 years without scientific evidence of adverse effects on human health, animals, and the environment.
Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the spread of misinformation (fake news) about GMOs, with social media flooded by subjective amateur videos of pseudo-experts making highly unscientific and unsubstantiated claims, some of which have now assumed dangerous and criminal dimensions that undermine national security.
This growing misinformation about GMOs has not been met with adequate effort by the community of scientists, technologists, promoters, and officials of the Federal Government, who understand the principles of biotechnology and have a duty to educate the Nigerian public on the safety and benefits of GMOs.
The recent call by the Nigerian House of Representatives to review the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria did not surprise us at CASER, given the enormity of the wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories about GMOs and biotechnology, which have mainly gone unchallenged with the correct information about the established legal and scientific regimes for the safe application of biotechnology and its products such as GMOs.
However, the recent call by the House of Representatives would now serve as an excellent opportunity to educate parliamentarians and Nigerians about not only the benefits and safety of biotechnology and GMOs but also how they serve as strategic tools for national development, especially in food security. The opportunity should, therefore, be maximised.
CASER adopts the safe application of biotechnology as part of its mandate to promote the human right to food and to improve the living standards of the citizens of Nigeria.
Frank Tietie
Executive Director
Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) &
Convener, FoodAvail Nigeria
