By our reporter
The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) and former President of the Federation of Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama, has cautioned the Federal Government against embracing the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) seeds, warning that the practice poses grave dangers to soil health, food security, and human wellbeing.
In an exclusive chat, Dr. Iyama described GM seeds as “acidic” and “toxic,” insisting they could degrade soil quality and increase the risk of cancer among consumers. He argued that while GM seeds promise higher yields, they lock farmers into a cycle of dependency on seed companies and ultimately leave the land unproductive.
“Cultivating GM seeds is a time bomb. It will destroy our soil and it is a promoter of cancer. Scientists are not unanimous on the technology, many of them do not support it, even though strong advocates often withhold the truth,” he said.
Iyama linked the outbreak of ginger blight in Nigeria to imported seeds, claiming this as evidence of the dangers of GMOs. “If you continue cultivating GM seeds, it will weaken and displace our conventional varieties. Once you depend on foreign suppliers and they stop selling to you, the country will go hungry,” he warned.
He urged the government to reject “misleading information” about GMOs and instead promote organic farming. He disclosed that FACAN would soon release a position paper to guide policy, stressing: “We will not keep quiet. Everybody is going organic, not GMO. They should stop misleading the government. We will put our records straight as FACAN’s position.”
Also speaking, the National President of the Banana/Plantain Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Adjarho Oghenekaro, reaffirmed his group’s opposition to GMOs. He noted that during a meeting at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), his association clarified that it does not support genetically modified banana cultivars.
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