• The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
Monday, January 16, 2023
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
A bowl of cereal meal used to illustrate the story [Photo: NHS.uk]

A bowl of cereal meal used to illustrate the story [Photo: NHS.uk]

Genetically-modified crops key to Nigeria’s food security, govt says

The government says it puts public safety first, however, and only approves safe seeds and grains for food and feed processing.

byTunde Eludini
July 29, 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0

Embracing genetically modified crops, known as GMOs, will be very helpful if Nigeria is to meet her set goals on attaining food security and reduction on import dependency, the government’s biosafety agency has said.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Rufus Ebegba, while speaking in Lagos last Thursday at a workshop, said his agency is working to ensure that only safe genetically-modified seeds and grains are allowed into Nigeria for food and feed processing.

He said: “Globally, safe science and technology have been known to be drivers of economic change world over, Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind that is why the federal government through NBMA makes sure it approves only safe application of modern biotechnology for the economic development of the country particularly in the Agricultural sector.”

Opposition to GMOs

The debate around the safety or otherwise of Genetically Modified (GM) crops have continued to divide opinions in Nigeria.

Some groups have called for the ban of genetic modification of food crops and animals due to concerns over its impact on agriculture and the alteration of the ecosystem.

Critics argue that GMOs do not give higher yields and are not more nutritious than normal crops as being championed.

“We demand a ban on GMOs and a repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act which came into force in the year 2015 and was reviewed in 2019 to include emerging and even more contentious aspects of extremely risky modern biotechnology,” a coalition of civil society organisations said in their demand earlier in the year.

What are GM crops?

Genetically modified crops (commonly referred to as GM crops) are plants used in agriculture, whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering methods.

Atiku-Okowa AD

In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant that does not occur naturally in the species.

Food crops for example can be genetically engineered to be resistant to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or just to improve the nutrient profile of the crop.

Safety first

The NBMA boss said there is a lot of “misinformation” on the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and the agency

owes the country and the populace the duty of providing necessary clarification.

NAHCON State AD NAHCON Tour Operator AD NAHCON Cargo Operator AD

Kogi AD

TEXEM Advert

“I want to use this medium to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government through the Agency is doing everything possible to ensure that we are all safe,” he said.

“Nigerians should learn to trust the federal government and allow the Agency to do what will be in their best interest.

“They need not be afraid as their health and wellbeing are paramount in the mind of the Agency as they relate to Biosafety.”

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

Aside from the resource persons from the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), representatives of the Lagos State Ministries of Health and Agriculture were also present at the one-day sensitization workshop.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print



Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate



TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested, newsroom searched

Next Post

Nigeria’s biggest quoted oil firm to pay shareholders $14.7 million quarterly dividend

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

More News

Mrs. Vero Bamidele (One of the affected Farmers)

In Edo communities, fear of herders’ attacks keeps farmers away from farms

December 30, 2022
Fish stands in the Baga Fish Market Maiduguri

Brisk business returns to famous Maiduguri fish market despite challenges

December 8, 2022
Food items in a market

25 million Nigerians to face food crisis by August 2023 – FAO

December 5, 2022
Food Market

How food prices surged in October – NBS

November 29, 2022
Project site at Iguafole showing most of the trees planted in 2019 died

EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria Park Services redeploys top official after PREMIUM TIMES report on failed green bond projects

November 27, 2022
Flooded sections around Philip's neighborhood

In Bayelsa, flood-ravaged residents groan as food, petrol prices surge

November 10, 2022
Leave Comment

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Digital Store
  • Home
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Gender
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria