The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has assured Nigerians that all the genetically modified agricultural produce currently in the markets are safe for consumption.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Rufus Ebegba, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.
“All those Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been certified safe from wherever they are coming.
“There is no GMO that has not been certified safe that is in the markets.
“It takes up to 7 to 12 years to come out with a product that is genetically modified because it undergoes a lot of process and the risk assessment is very rigorous because of the apprehension.
“We are not anxious to start arresting or prosecuting people but definitely we are going to ensure the law is complied with, and the enforcement has commenced but we have not found anybody wanting in the use of genetically modified organism that is not approved.
According to Ebegba, most of the GMOs being closely watched are those imported from Argentina, the United States of America, and some neighbouring African countries.
The DG listed some of the GMOs currently under surveillance in Nigeria as soya-bean and corn.
He said that it would take between seven and ten years for any GMO to be released in any country.
He stated that NBMA is currently profiling and surveying the genetically modified agricultural produce in the markets.
Ebegba added that none of the produce had been found to be detrimental to the environment and humans.
He said that the agency had accredited five institutions to carry out modern biotechnology activities in the country.
The DG listed the institutions to include National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, National Cereal Research Institute, Badeggi and Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria.
Others are; National Biotechnology Development Agency and the Federal University of Technology, Akure.
“We accredited these institutions because they have the ability to develop and contain GMOs at the experimental level.
“These institutions are currently doing experiments at their laboratories in the development of genetic engineering,’’ he said.
The DG assured citizens that the agency would not release any GMO agricultural produce that would be hazardous to human health and the environment.
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