By Ifelayo Joshua | February 17, 2026
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) have launched a sensitisation campaign to address controversies surrounding the consumption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria.
The agencies organised a workshop for students, academicians, and civil society organisations in Keffi, Nasarawa State, to educate them on the safety and benefits of GMOs.
The introduction of GMOs in Nigeria has been a contentious issue, with many stakeholders expressing concerns about their safety and potential impact on human health and the environment.
In 2019, the Nigerian government approved the commercial cultivation of genetically modified cowpeas, also known as Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpeas, which are resistant to the pod borer pest. However, some civil society organisations and activists have raised concerns about the potential risks of GMOs, including their potential impact on biodiversity, the environment, and human health.
NBMA Director-General, Mr Bello Bawa Bwari, said the controversy surrounding GMOs was due to misinformation, and the agency was working to set the record straight.
“While we have information out there, we also have misinformation, so we are here to educate the public on GMOs,” Bwari said, represented by Mrs Scholastica Bello, Director of Planning and Statistics, Research Department, NBMA.
The agency has brought together key stakeholders to educate them on the truth about GMOs and where to get accurate information. “As you are all aware, President Bola Tinubu is interested in food security, and biosafety enhances food security,” Bwari said, expressing optimism that the awareness created would erase misconceptions about GMOs.
Mrs Hauwa Ahmed, Head of Department, Biosafety Operations and Enforcement, NBMA, said the meeting had educated farmers, students, academicians, and civil society groups on biotechnology and biosafety.
“We taught them biotechnology techniques and biosafety regulations because biotechnology can not thrive without biosafety,” Ahmed said.
A GMO farmer, Mr Emmanuel Ogienomoh, who grows PT Cowpeas, highlighted the benefits of GMOs, saying they were insect-resistant and gave greater yields.
“The PT Cowpeas are not only resistant to pests, but they also give us higher yields, which translates to more income for us farmers,” Ogienomoh said. He urged Nigerians to embrace GMOs, saying they were safe and had numerous benefits.
The workshop participants were also taken on a field trip to a GMO farm in Keffi, where they saw firsthand the benefits of GMOs.
The sensitisation campaign is part of efforts by NBMA and AATF to promote awareness and understanding of GMOs in Nigeria and to address concerns and misconceptions surrounding their consumption.
The agencies hope that the campaign will help to increase the acceptance and adoption of GMOs in Nigeria and contribute to the country’s food security and economic development.
