As food scarcity looms in Nigeria, with farmers facing enormous challenges, agricultural biotechnology involving use of different scientific techniques to modify plants and animals may be the way forward. Scientists have reported that genetically modified crops have more yields, require less spraying, and enhance nutrient composition. They also are resistant to pests and disease.
Nigeria approved its first biotechnology crop in 2018 and
presently, two crops; Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt.) cotton and cow pea has been
approved for commercial use. This development, though welcomed by some
Nigerians especially scientists, also raised safety concerns. Countries such as
France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia are
reported to have chosen a total ban on GMOs.
The national vice president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria
(AFAN), Chief Daniel Okafor, told me that from what he had seen, scientifically
modified crops do better in terms of yields but urged the institutions to carry
out more research while the regulatory agencies do their work as well |||READ
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