Scientists in universities and research centres across the country have endorsed the use of genetically modified organisms in the agriculture sector to boost food security in the country.
The scientists were of the view that although government action was belated, it was better now than never adding that the technology remained one of the most viable options for the country to enhance its food security strategies as well as provide healthy food for its growing population.
The endorsement is coming a year after the country’s topmost scientific body, the Nigeria Academy of Science equally urged government to as a matter of urgency roll out the technology in all areas to ensure Nigeria benefit maximally from it.
The cross section of scientists that met at the just concluded 3rd South-West Agro-ecological Biosafety Workshop in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, including professors in various aspects of biosciences were of the view that government in its wisdom has set in motion all the necessary machinery needed to enable the technology take effective root in the country by establishing the National Biotechnology Development Agency as the promoter of the technology over 15 years ago and the National Biosafety Management Agency as the regulatory in the last three years.
Prof. E. O Ogunbodede, Vice Chancellor, OAU said that government economic diversification plan to reposition agriculture as the main stay of the economy would be achieved if conventional agriculture gives way to modern tools such as biotechnology which has the potential of boosting productivity.
“Conventional agriculture has led to food insecurity, hunger, malnutrition and poverty in the country,” he said.
Ogunbodede noted that as the debate on the use of biotechnology for food production continues in the country, opportunity must be given to scientists and scientific evidence that proved that GM foods are safe as any other food from conventional sources.
He added that with the National Biosafety Policy in place, the legal framework has been established for the safe and responsible application of modern biotechnology in the country as well as the importation of GM crops into Nigeria including the provision of an avenue to engage Nigerian scientists from different fields to identify and pursue solutions to our local challenges using biotechnologies.
Prof. Bamidele Solomon of the Chemical Engineering Department, at OAU and Chairman, Ife Biotechnology Group said that with the challenge of climate change, persisting pest infestations, declining soil nutritional quality, gradual reduction in arable land use due to the pressures of urbanisation, modern biotechnology has been identified as an important tool that can help countries like Nigeria achieve food security and food sufficiency, industrial growth, health improvement and environmental sustainability.
Modern biotechnology according to Prof. Solomon is a technique used for genetic improvements that is more efficient and precise compared to conventional breeding,” he said.
Prof. D. J Oyedele, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, OAU said biotechnology has the potential to increase agricultural productivity, enhance food security, move agriculture away from a dependence on chemical inputs and reduce environmental problems.
“It is important we come to the realisation that food security and agricultural productivity depend largely on domestication of biotechnology,” Solomon added.
While Dr. Ogundare, the Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science, OAU, said Nigeria must step out of the political campaign involving GMOs and focus more on scientific information’s backed by evidence.
“We are currently faced with issues of hunger and food insecurity; therefore all hands must be on deck to think through the most appropriate strategy that will make safe and healthy food available to all Nigerians. Food is the only thing left for the common man, it must not be contaminated, and it must be free from hazards. The GMO technology guarantees one of the best ways to attain this.”
Professor Emeritus E.M. A Ebore, a former Dean in the University said that after 25 years of usage, the campaign of calumny that GM food cause cancer and other diseases have not been proven and so therefore cannot be accepted.
“We need GMOs to live longer, the arguments about GMOs’ safety are baseless, most of us have been travelling and eating GM foods and nothing has happened to us.”
Prof. I.O Obisesan, another former Dean in the faculty of agriculture, OAU said that biotechnology is a means to an end and not an end in itself. “We need biotechnology to fast track food production, enhance and produce better and more nutritional foods as well as medicine. It is a stepping stone to achieve faster and more accurate and precise results in our areas of research.”
With the academicians rooting for the technology, making it the second major endorsement of the technology in the country by experts, the time has come for deploying the technology full blast to engage our lecturers in the universities and research institutes with mandates for genetic engineering.
- Gidado is Assistant Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja
