The National Biosafety Management Agency NBMA has assured Nigerians that no GMO is allowed into the country without passing through the world’s most stringent safety and regulatory processes.
The Director General of NBMA, Dr Agnes Asagbra, in a statement, said the Agency will continue to discharge its mandate with transparency, firmness, and scientific integrity.
“We wish to reassure Nigerians that no GMO enters or is used in Nigeria without passing through the Agency’s strict, science-based approval process. Furthermore, any importer or producer found to contravene the NBMA Act 2015 (as amended) will face appropriate sanctions, as the Agency will not hesitate to enforce the law to protect Nigerians, the environment, and biodiversity.”
“The NBMA was established by the National Biosafety Management Agency Act, 2015 (as amended 2019) as the Competent National Authority mandated to regulate the safe use of modern biotechnology and its products, including GMOs. Our responsibility is clear: to protect human health, biodiversity, and the environment while ensuring Nigerians have access to safe innovation,” she said.
She explained that before any genetically modified organism (GMO) can be imported, produced, or commercialised in Nigeria, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) undertakes rigorous screening and requires a detailed application supported by scientific data, risk assessments, and safety studies.
“In keeping with its transparency mandate, the Agency publishes each application in at least two national newspapers and deposits copies at strategic locations across the country. This 21-day public notice allows Nigerians and stakeholders to review the application, raise concerns, or provide feedback.”
“Independent experts are then brought into the process. A National Biosafety Committee and a Technical Sub-Committee, made up of relevant scientists from universities, research institutes, professional bodies, and government agencies, carefully review the evidence.
They examine the molecular biology, toxicology, allergenicity, nutritional impact, the history of safe use, potential environmental effects and many more,” she stated.
According to the NBMA Boss, “in the case of an approved confined trial, the Agency follows a very rigorous regulatory process requiring some number of years of assessing the trial period in which the data generated from the process is still subjected to the National Biosafety Committee and Technical Sub-Committee if the applicant wishes to commercialise.”
Dr Asagbra also called on the public and stakeholders to place trust in Nigeria’s biosafety system, a system deliberately built by the National Assembly, funded by the Government of Nigeria, and upheld by experts, to ensure that bio-innovation never compromises safety.
“NBMA officers carry out regular post-release monitoring and inspection to ensure full compliance. We also carry out quarterly surveillance, and any breach attracts tough sanctions, including seizure, destruction, or repatriation of unauthorised GMOs. And as the agency has warned, any importer or producer who violates the NBMA Act will face firm sanctions without hesitation,” she explained.
The Director General added that the Agency’s regulatory system has been recognised across Africa and has served as a model for several countries building their biosafety frameworks.
It would be recalled that recently, there have been ongoing debates surrounding the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria.