The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, Nigeria Chapter has stepped up efforts to deepen understanding of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) with a sensitisation workshop for Directorate Officers of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The one-day session held in Abuja, focused on equipping health officials with evidence-based knowledge to counter misconceptions, build public trust, and support Nigeria’s food security drive through safe biotechnology applications.
The Organisers emphasised the importance of bridging the knowledge gap on GMOs among key government stakeholders to foster informed decision-making and promote food security through modern biotechnology.
READ MORE:Nigerian Government Inaugurates Health Sector Bargaining Committee
It aimed to demystify Modern Biotechnology, provide evidence-based information and clarify misconceptions, showcase the Benefits of GM Crops, Highlight contributions of biotechnology to agriculture, environment, and health while highlighting Nigeria’s Regulatory Framework, build confidence in safety measures under NBMA and other agencies.
Addressing participants, the representative of the Director General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency Dr. Oyedele Julius said it was important for workers in the Ministry of Health of Social Welfare to understand the GMO technology to enable them communicate it to the people.
“Why does this matter for health and social welfare? Health, nutrition and economic resilience are closely bound. Reduced crop losses mean a more stable food supply, lower food prices and fewer nutrition shocks. Reduced pesticide use lowers public-health risks to rural communities and agricultural workers. It is therefore appropriate that we deliberate here, with officers of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on harmonised messages that protect consumers, inform clinicians and empower public servants to communicate clearly and confidently,”Dr. Oyedele said.
He charged health journalists and the officials to implore fact in communicating GMO.
Dr. Oyedele said; “A few words on risk communication. Journalists and public officers: facts matter, context matters and tone matters. When you report on a seed or a trait, report the data of the yield gains, the pesticide reductions, the field trial scales and the safeguards: containment measures, monitoring protocols and the consumer-safety assessments that precede any release. The public deserves transparency and candour; that is how trust is built.”
The Director General noted that the deployment of safe, evidence-based biotechnology aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its blueprint for food security and economic revival.
Mr John Atanda, who represented the Director of Food and Drug Services and National Coordinator of the Food Safety and Quality Programme at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the sensitisation was timely, especially as media debates on the safety of biotechnology remain at the forefront.
He said; “The Ministry leadership team to participate effectively in the national dialogue and policymaking on the safe and beneficial adoption of modern food safety and nutrition technologies”
Mr. Atanda said; “Today, we stand at an important crossroads where various interpretations for and against the use of modern biotechnology have made media rounds and caused some sensational headlines. We believe that by working together, we can transform the way biotechnology is perceived and applied within our nation, ensuring that innovations like genetically modified organisms (GMOS) contribute meaningfully to our food security and nutritional advancement.”
He assured Nigerians that the Food and Drug Services Department and its Agencies, is committed to protecting and promoting public health through safe, nutritious and wholesome foods stating that every product born from modern biotechnology will be held to the highest safety standards.
The workshop expects to improve awareness and understanding of modern biotechnology and biosafety, and increase confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory framework for safe biotech applications.