Experts Express Concern Over Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods

Food safety and nutrition experts have raised concerns about the health impacts of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs).

The experts, while speaking at a media symposium in Abuja highlighted the potential dangers GMOs pose to public health.

The event was organised by the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), Environmental Rights Action (Friends of the Earth), Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria (AAPN), Project Print, and HOMEF.

The Executive Director, CEFSAR, Professor Qrissturberg Amua, said GMOs could be disrupting the hormone systems of citizens, contributing to rising diabetes rates, even among children.

According to him, One identified risk of GMOs is early memory decay, with individuals in their 40s experiencing significant memory and intelligence loss at an alarming rate.

Amua called for increased security measures to scrutinise imported crop science products from the EU that are imposed on Nigerian citizens.

He said: “Diabetes, once considered an ailment of the elderly, is now prevalent among young children due to hormonal disruptions caused by GMOs.

“We also see hypertension in young people who are not overweight, falsely attributed to sedentary lifestyles or processed foods,” said Amua.

Donald Ikenna Ofoegbu, the coordinator of AAPN, echoed the need for stringent monitoring laws to control GMOs in Nigeria.

He advocated for a robust framework to identify GMOs in the market and ensure public safety.