Two Nigerian agencies-
National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) have clashed over the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and food products in Nigeria.
The NBMA in a leaked memo asked NAFDAC to retract the statements it made on GMOs which “is the distinct mandate of NBMA.”
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had recently, during an interview on Arise News Television, said that GMOs products are not safe for human consumption.
Adeyeye said that though NAFDAC had not conducted extensive research on the safety of GMO products, the agency did not have evidence to show that GMO products like maize and tomatoes are safe for human consumption.
“NBMA is the Federal Government Agency empowered by law to have the professional competencies and the technical wherewithal to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and to handle all GMO related matters in accordance with relevant subsisting laws in the country, international conventions and best practices and standards.
“At NBMA, we strongly uphold and cherish inter-agency collaborations for effective biosafety management in Nigeria. We believe that participation, open communication and cooperation are essential in our efforts to regulate and ensure safety of GMOs for all. NBMA values this collaborative relationship with NAFDAC and other relevant regulatory agencies and stakeholders and, have strived to maintain a partnership based on mutual respect and shared goals.”
Asagbra further stated that for the avoidance of doubt further misinformation the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency wishes to state that the National Biosafety Management Agency is the only competent Federal agency with the mandate to regulate GMOs in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in accordance with the NBMA Act 2015 (Amended 2019).
According to her, “It is indisputable that the public’s perception of the Agency and that of the Federal government of Nigeria’s position has been severely discredited by this falsehood from a purported sibling agency, intentionally or unintentionally casting aspersion on its credibility and effectiveness. This indeed is not acceptable as it has harmed not just NBMA’s reputations but also the public’s confidence in the regulatory framework that we both strive to maintain. To put it mildly, NBMA is worried about the possible effects this might have on the trust of the stakeholders we work with.
“Based on the foregoing, I earnestly call on the DG of NAFDAC to as a matter of urgency admit and recant this glaring gap in knowledge and position of the Federal government of Nigeria in the regulation of the practices of modern biotechnology and handling of GMO related matters by NBMA in collaboration with other relevant Agencies in Nigeria. This will go a long way in addressing the obvious misconception and misrepresentation that your statements in that interview might have caused concerning the issue on the front burner (GMOs), thereby setting the record straight, please.”