Prof. Mahammad Faguji Ishiyaku is a plant breeder/biotechnologist at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In this interview with Dele Ogbodo, he said that the negative campaigns by Europe against the introduction of GMO foods in Nigeria cannot last indefinitely:
What is your position on the raging debates about GMO foods in the media
Let say, first and foremost that it is not true that organizations pushing for the introduction of biotechnological improved foods or plants want to enslave Nigerian farmers. Nigerian Seed Council (NSC) which is the statutory organization that is having the responsibility to regulate the sales and commercialization of seeds. NSC has guidelines and rules in place on sales and will not make it possible for any company for that matter, whether it is Monsanto or any of our indigenous seed companies to hold our farmers to ransom.
On the raging debate especially in the media, this is though my personal opinion, nobody will tell you openly, it is a war between American and Europe. Let me tell you personally, no matter how long it is going to take, this technology has come to stay, it will be adopted in Nigeria.
Could the introduction of GMO food be the answer to food challenge?
This will be answer to food insecurity and challenge in the country, this is because, like what we plant breeder do for our farmers is to develop for our farmers improved products, for example I work on cowpea which is beans in Nigeria and I also work on maize and other crops.
What we do is to improve drought tolerance, insect resistance and disease tolerance. In the absence of developing this natural resistance, then we can use chemicals to protect our crops, but when they are naturally immune, against the disease, which is what we do genetically, then we don’t need any drug or chemical.
It means that it is now safer for the environment, when you do not need to use extraneous chemicals to control this. This technology will control disease, it will introduce certain other beneficial characters like earliness because, the raining season is getting shorter and shorter with lesser rainfall.
Read the full, original article: Campaign against Adoption of GMO Foods is a Distraction
