The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stepped into the ongoing discourse surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), reassuring Nigerians that GMO foods are not harmful when safety protocols are observed, but must be clearly labelled.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, stated that GMOs are safe depending on the type of food and the safety measures taken before consumption.
Adeyeye, who is also a pharmacist, stressed the importance of clear labelling on GMO products to ensure that consumers can make informed choices.
She also noted that NAFDAC works closely with the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), the body responsible for ensuring the safety of GMO foods in Nigeria.
Asked what Nigerians can do to ensure that the food they consume is healthy for them, Adeyeye explained, “I’m a food freak. I want to know what I’m eating is going to give me a good health outcome.
“I look at the label. I want to be sure that NAFDAC’s label is on it, or if I’m outside the country—well, I don’t do a lot of shopping now, but before my time in NAFDAC, when I had all the time — I would look at the label. And it’s supposed to have ‘genetically modified food’ written on it.
“We work in collaboration with the Biosafety Management Agency. We have an MoU with them. They are mandated to ensure that the foods that have GMOs are of quality, they are safe, and they are efficacious.
“So, when you look at the food on the table in the market—especially grocery stores— you will see foods labeled organic. You put labels [on foods] that are not organic, and people have the choice to buy which one they want.”
Her remarks came amid growing concerns among Nigerians about the presence and quality of genetically modified (GMO) foods in markets nationwide.
While NAFDAC plays a significant role in monitoring and certifying food products consumed in the country, Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye emphasised that state-level agencies also share responsibility in addressing these issues.
“But for NAFDAC, we are mandated to ensure that the food that we approve for the market is safe, is of quality, of course, and it is efficacious,” she said.
She highlighted the agency’s strong collaboration with the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), stressing that NAFDAC cannot approve any GMO product without NBMA’s prior safety certification.
“Without them certifying that they have done their due diligence in their laboratory for desk review or whatever, we cannot approve,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) also addressed public fears about GMO safety last month.
Its Director General, Abdullahi Mustapha, told members of the House of Representatives Press Corps that GMO crops are vital for addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity and enhancing agricultural productivity.
He warned that misinformation in the digital era continues to hinder scientific progress and public acceptance of beneficial technologies.
“False claims about GMOs have contributed to public skepticism and slowed down the adoption of technologies that can transform lives,” the agency stated at a sensitisation workshop in Abuja.
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