As genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gain a foothold in the country’s agricultural sector, farmers and food sovereignty campaigners fear they could lose control over what they plant, how they farm and, ultimately, what Nigerians eat.

To nip the trend, dozens of farmers, women leaders, activists, civil society groups and youth coalitions converged at Ikeja Bridge, Lagos, yesterday, in a protest against what they described as the growing corporate control of Nigeria’s food system.

Carrying placards and chanting, “GMOs will not address Nigeria’s food crisis,” the protesters argued that genetically engineered seeds were not the answer to food insecurity.

Instead, they called for greater investment in smallholder farmers, the protection of indigenous seeds and a shift towards agroecology, which promotes sustainable farming practices and environmental conservation.

The rally, which began at about 9:00a.m., was organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Corporate Accountability and Participation Africa (CAPPA), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance.

For the participants, the issue went beyond agricultural technology. It was about whether farmers would retain the freedom to save and exchange seeds or become increasingly dependent on commercial suppliers for successive planting seasons.

Addressing the crowd, an organiser from HOMEF, Ms Joyce Brown, reminded the demonstrators that food was a concern shared by everyone, regardless of social or economic status.

“There is nobody who doesn’t eat food, whether you are rich or poor, educated or uneducated,” she said, drawing applause.

She questioned the long-term implications of altering the genetic characteristics of seeds in laboratories, arguing that the consequences might not be fully understood.

“Scientists and corporations are changing the genes of seeds, the very traits given by nature. They claim it is for pest control, but when you change those genes, other unpredictable side effects emerge. As our people say, ‘you cannot cheat nature,’” she said.

The campaigners also warned that patented genetically modified seeds could weaken traditional farming practices by making farmers reliant on biotechnology companies for fresh supplies.

They argued that such dependence could increase production costs and undermine farmers’ independence. They further expressed concern that cultivating genetically modified crops, including cotton, could affect soil conditions and the ability of conventional and indigenous varieties to thrive.

However, these claims were presented by the campaigners as concerns requiring further investigation.

Public health was another major issue raised at the rally. A molecular biologist, public health expert and food policy analyst, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, questioned whether Nigeria had sufficient independent, long-term research to establish the safety of genetically engineered crops and assess their potential health implications.

He cited possible allergenicity and toxicity, as well as concerns about changes to proteins during genetic engineering.

He also questioned whether the country had adequate baseline health data to assess long-term trends in cancer and other chronic diseases alongside changes in dietary habits.

Ifeanyi expressed concern that genetic modification could affect the nutritional composition of food and the human gut microbiome.

The speakers called for comprehensive, independent assessments before further approvals and wider commercial use of genetically modified crops.

By about 11:00 a.m., the demonstrators had begun marching from Ikeja Bridge towards the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, taking their demands to lawmakers.

Chanting, “Food, Not Poison!” and “GMO-Free Nigeria Now!”, they distributed informational flyers to market women, motorists and other residents along the route.

At the Assembly complex, security officials and administrative representatives received the protesters.

Speaking on behalf of CAPPA, Mr Olamide Martins urged the Lagos State Government to support a ban on genetically modified crops and foods, arguing that public health and the protection of local farming communities should take priority over corporate interests.

“Our public health system is already overwhelmed. Hospitals are witnessing an influx of non-communicable diseases, including unexplained cancers, linked directly to what ends up on our dining tables,” Martins said.

He called on Lagos to promote agroecological farming and introduce policies that would protect farmers from excessive corporate influence.

“Government must stop subjecting our food sovereignty to corporate actors whose primary motive is profit. Lagos must lead the way by establishing policies that protect local farming and promote agroecology,” he added.

Also speaking, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Ms Joyce Brown, warned that cross-pollination between genetically modified crops and conventional varieties could threaten the preservation of indigenous seeds.

She argued that the spread of modified genetic material into local crops could make it difficult for farmers to maintain traditional varieties and retain control over their seeds.

“If our local cassava, cowpea and corn varieties are contaminated, our farmers lose their independence forever,” she said.

Brown cited Mexico and more than 30 other countries as examples of places that, according to her, had introduced restrictions or bans on GMOs to protect indigenous crops and food sovereignty.

She also urged the Lagos Assembly to enforce what she described as a 2024 House of Representatives resolution calling for a suspension of new GMO approvals pending comprehensive, long-term and independent risk assessments and clinical trials.

Despite the delegation’s efforts to present its demands directly to lawmakers, the protesters did not meet any legislators during the visit.

Administrative and security officials told them that the Assembly was on recess until November 9. They acknowledged receipt of the coalition’s submission and advised its representatives to send a formal reminder addressed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, when plenary resumed.

The officials also advised the group to direct its petition to the Speaker for possible referral to the appropriate committees on agriculture and health.

The organisers said they would return with a formal letter detailing their concerns and demands.

Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo is now 15 goals from hitting a thousand goals in his career.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as the Saudi Arabian club beat Al-Kholood 5-3 on Thursday.

The 41-year-old saw a goal chalked off for offside in the first half, before he went on to score three times after the break.

Former Chelsea forward Joao Felix burst into the area to tee up Ronaldo for a tap-in and collect his third assist of the game.

And Ronaldo then climbed brilliantly to thump in a header to make it 4-2 from yet another Felix assist.

There was time for a fifth and a hat-trick for Ronaldo, when the former Real Madrid man was on hand to convert a Mane pass inside the area, before Domingues pulled one back with a 94th-minute penalty.

Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday unveiled her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative’s (RHI’s) N110 million empowerment package for elderly citizens and persons with disabilities in all the 109 senatorial districts nationwide.

She has, therefore, urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidates to oversee its implementation and ensure the funds reach vulnerable Nigerians.

The initiative, comprises two programs, each with a N55 million allocation, targeting 250 beneficiaries apiece.

Under the RHI Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities, 250 beneficiaries are expected to receive N200,000 each per senatorial district.
The RHI Elderly Support Scheme will follow the same funding structure, with 250 elderly beneficiaries receiving N200,000 each per senatorial district.
Mrs Tinubu announced this at a stakeholders’ meeting attended by the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; other APC members of the Senate, members of the RHI Governing Board and APC senatorial candidates.
The First Lady said the decision to work through the senatorial candidates followed consultations with political leaders on how best to deliver the intervention to beneficiaries, improve coordination and ensure that the program achieves its intended purpose.

According to her, the initiative was designed to leverage the candidates’ familiarity with their constituencies to identify vulnerable people and facilitate the distribution of the assistance.
She cautioned that the program must not be restricted to APC members.

“We don’t say give it only to party members, but give it to your voters,” she emphasized to the candidates to ensure that deserving people in their districts benefit from the intervention.
Mrs Tinubu said the intervention reflects her longstanding commitment to the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians, drawing on her experience in public service and empowerment initiatives during her 12 years in the Senate.
“The vulnerable in society are the people we are supposed to care for”.
She explained that the RHI had previously supported persons with disabilities but was expanding its empowerment efforts to give them renewed assistance, while also stating that the intervention for elderly citizens has entered it fourth edition.