Agricultural and policy experts have raised an alarm over the growing influence of foreign corporations and non-state actors in Nigeria’s food system.
They warned that reliance on imported technologies such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and poorly regulated policies could undermine the nation’s food sovereignty, security and public health.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the experts from Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), the Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory (CAPRA) and Project Sprint urged immediate policy reforms to safeguard Nigeria’s food-future.
CEFSAR’s deputy director, Segun Adebayo noted that Nigeria’s food sovereignty is not just security but remains non-negotiable with any foreign actors.
Adebayo likened Nigeria’s reliance on foreign entities to outsourcing household food from a hostile neighbour and criticised policies that favour foreign ownership in agriculture, arguing that they have left Nigeria vulnerable to neo-colonial exploitation.
He warned that GMO seeds, engineered to become sterile after two harvests, create dependency.
“Allowing foreign actors undue influence in our food systems is like inviting a visitor who gradually takes over your home. If foreign corporations control our seeds, they can dictate terms for Nigeria. We must audit our policies and prioritise food sovereignty,” he noted.
CAPRA ambassador, Michael Nwabufo, warned against adoption of GMO seeds, stating that they threaten the DNA and food sovereignty of future generations.
Nwabufo outlined dangers such as unintended mutations, cancer risks and immune reactions, accusing the foreign entities of pushing harmful agenda.
He criticised misplaced public focus on social media scandals while foreigners seize the Nigerian food system and urged Nigerians to plant what they eat.
Nwabufo said, “NGOs are promoting GMOs, but I trust President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to reject this. If our food is controlled by outsiders, they’ll decide whether we eat or starve. My team will uproot GMO crops and replace them with God-given seeds.”
Another policy expert and country director of Project Sprint, Israel James described food insecurity as a national security threat, linking inflation and farmer killings to “coordinated economic warfare.”
James urged investigations into gene-edited seeds developed by foreign-owned technology and NGOs funding GMOs.
He cited Zimbabwe’s struggles with post-GMO adoption, warning that Nigeria could face worse, even GMOs monopolies.
“If we don’t secure our food basket regions, foreign actors will control our government through hunger,” he said.
The experts were unanimous in calling for urgent action such as food policy review and laws enabling foreign agricultural dominance, GMO ban and investment in indigenous seed systems as well as scrutiny of foreign donations tied to GMO advocacy.
