NBMA REAFFIRMS STRICT APPROVAL PROCESS, WARNS OF SANCTIONS FOR GMO VIOLATIONS

The attention of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has been drawn to ongoing debates surrounding the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria. 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. Before any genetically modified organism (GMO) can be imported, produced, or commercialized in Nigeria, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) undertake a 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.

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-Commitee if the applicants wishes to commercialize.

Decisions are made strictly on science. Only GMOs proven to be as safe as their conventional counterparts are approved; those that present risks are rejected outright. Where approvals are granted, NBMA issues permits under strict conditions that must be observed at every stage, from importation to cultivation and commercialization. Even after approval, the monitoring does not stop. 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 unauthorized GMOs. And as the Agency has warned, any importer or producer who violates the NBMA Act will face firm sanctions without hesitation.

Science, not sentiment, guides our decisions. NBMA aligns its processes with global best practices, including standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Transparency is central. The public is always given the opportunity to scrutinize applications and provide input before decisions are taken. Consumer rights are protected. Labelling of GMOs is mandatory by law, to safeguard Nigerians’ freedom of choice. Nigeria is a continental leader. Our regulatory system has been recognized across Africa and has served as a model for several countries building their biosafety frameworks.

The NBMA assures Nigerians that no GMO is allowed into Nigeria without passing through the world’s most stringent safety and regulatory processes. Our duty is to protect Nigerians without stifling innovation, and we will continue to discharge this mandate with transparency, firmness, and scientific integrity. We call on the public and stakeholders to place trust in Nigeria’s biosafety system, a system deliberately built by the National Assembly, funded by Government of Nigeria, and upheld by experts, to ensure that bio-innovation never compromises safety.