Mustapha: How Nigerian Farmers Shrug Off Burden of GMO Misinformation

The Director General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NBTDA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha has narrated how Nigerian farmers have in recent times swiftly shrugged off the burden of misinformation and disinformation on Genetically Modified Organisms/crops which is the by-products of biotechnology deployment.

According to him, these unfounded and unsubstantiated narratives were heaped on them by some armchair peddlers of the anti-Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) gangs.

The agency, he added, has become a driving force in utilizing biotechnology to enhance the quality of life for Nigerians and mitigate socioeconomic obstacles to development.

The DG made the disclosure at the end of its 2023 get-together breakfast meeting with journalists at its NABDA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

He said: “Already, there are testimonies from farmers across the country who are benefiting from products of modern agricultural biotechnology in the country such as the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea developed by Nigerian scientists at Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria which is helping farmers overcome the devastating impacts of Marcuca vitrata that causes 80% destruction on the farmers’ field.

“Today, the farmers are applying only 2 insecticide sprays as against 8 to 10 sprays previously as a result of planting the PBR cowpea.

“The farmers are also planting Bt. cotton, another innovative product from modern biotechnology that is changing the game in cotton farming and the hope of the textile industry’s revival on course.”

According to him, all these have been made possible through the over 14-year partnership the agency share with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Agricultural Research Council (ARCN) and Bayer Agriculture Nigeria Plc, according that the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB)-Nigeria Chapter, an initiative of AATF, is yet another project of importance in the area of awareness creation. 

Mustapha, said: “Through its various programmes and projects, OFAB has embarked on a mission to enhance knowledge sharing and awareness on agricultural biotechnology that would raise understanding and appreciation of the technology by bringing together stakeholders in the field of biotechnology and the public as a whole to interact, share and exchange knowledge, experiences, contacts and exploring new avenues of bringing the benefits of biotechnology to bear.”