This WeekendSalvo@NaijaAgroNet by REMMY NWEKE, examines Nigeria’s GMO economy, exploring its promises, policy gaps, and impact on smallholder farmers, while calling for innovation rooted in fairness, food sovereignty, and inclusive agricultural growth.
Framing the debate:
In the evolving narrative of agricultural innovation, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have become both a beacon of promise and a source of contention.
In agriculture, GMOs refer to crops whose genetic materials have been scientifically altered to improve yield, pest resistance, or resilience to harsh climates. While many nations hail this as the frontier of food security, others question the long-term socio-economic and ecological implications.
For Nigeria, the issue transcends biotechnology, but both an economic and developmental crossroads. The nation stands between the drive for agricultural modernization and the preservation of food sovereignty.
For Nigeria, the issue transcends biotechnology, but both an economic and developmental crossroads. The nation stands between the drive for agricultural modernization and the preservation of food sovereignty.
As Nigeria pursues higher productivity and reduced imports, the central question emerges: Can GMO technology strengthen the economy without undermining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who feed the nation?
Nigeria’s GMO landscape and policy evolution:
Nigeria formally entered the global biotechnology stage with the enactment of the National Biosafety Management Act of 2015, establishing the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to oversee GMOs.
Since then, the country has approved several genetically modified crops, including Bt cotton, cowpea, and maize, developed through partnerships between local research institutions such as the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and global firms like Monsanto and Bayer.
While these developments position Nigeria as a biotechnology leader in West Africa, policy evolution remains uneven. A 2023 NBMA report confirmed that Nigeria now leads the continent in approved GM crops, yet concerns persist over regulatory independence, stakeholder awareness, and public participation. Civil society groups like the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) argue that risk assessments often prioritize scientific data over socio-economic realities.
Thus, Nigeria’s GMO landscape reflects a paradox, regulatory progress alongside a widening policy gap between innovation and inclusion. The challenge lies not in rejecting biotechnology, but in ensuring it aligns with Nigeria’s economic and food security goals without marginalizing farmers.
Economics of GMO seeds: Cost, access, and corporate power:
At the core of the GMO debate is economics — who benefits, who pays, and who controls the seed. In countries where GMO adoption has flourished, seed companies often dominate the market, holding patents that limit seed reuse. For Nigerian farmers, this introduces a new economic dynamic: increased dependence on high-cost commercial inputs.
Research by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and ActionAid Nigeria (2024) suggests that GMO seeds can cost two to three times more than conventional varieties. For smallholders who produce 80% of the nation’s food, this cost barrier directly affects affordability and sustainability. Moreover, licensing terms prevent seed-saving, forcing annual purchases.
Critics argue that such systems create seed monopolies, transferring control of food systems from farmers to corporations. Proponents counter that improved yields can offset initial costs, but this optimism assumes ideal growing conditions, strong extension services, and reliable markets — all still inconsistent across Nigeria’s agricultural zones.
The underlying question remains: Can Nigeria’s biotechnology model deliver economic empowerment, or does it risk deepening rural dependency under corporate-driven market structures?
Case studies: Bt cotton and GMO cowpea:
For instance, there are two case studies that illustrate the complexities of GMO economics in Nigeria.
First, Bt cotton, introduced to combat bollworm infestations, initially promised higher yields and reduced pesticide use. However, reports by the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA) and Daily Trust (2024) indicate mixed outcomes, while pest resistance improved, production costs rose sharply due to seed price inflation and limited domestic processing infrastructure. Consequently, farmers in Katsina and Kaduna saw modest yield gains but reduced profit margins.
Second, the PBR (Pod Borer Resistant) Cowpea, developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) and released in 2021, demonstrated better pest resistance and reduced chemical spraying by up to 80%. Yet, adoption rates remain below expectations. HOMEF’s 2024 assessment attributes this to poor rural sensitization, limited access to seeds, and skepticism over intellectual property terms.
Together, these examples highlight Nigeria’s uneven biotechnology benefits, successful research outcomes not yet translating into broad economic prosperity. The lesson is clear: innovation alone does not guarantee impact without complementary investments in market access, extension services, and price stabilization.
Impact on farmer livelihoods and rural economies:
For smallholder farmers, the promise of GMOs is often tempered by economic reality. Studies by IAR, Zaria, and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) reveal that while GMO crops may improve yields, their net economic benefit remains uneven.
In Kaduna and Katsina, several Bt cotton farmers told BusinessDay (2024) that although pest resistance improved, seed costs nearly tripled, eroding profits. Beyond input costs, farmers face systemic barriers — limited access to credit, price volatility, and the obligation to buy new seeds yearly due to patent rules. “I used to keep part of my harvest for next year,” one farmer told The Guardian. “Now, every planting season, I must buy again, even when prices rise.”
These costs ripple through rural economies: higher seed prices reduce cooperative savings and affect food affordability. Without strong extension support, inconsistent yields further strain household income. Unless policy safeguards and farmer-support mechanisms accompany GMO rollout, biotechnology risks widening inequality between large-scale farms and Nigeria’s millions of smallholders.
Balancing innovation, equity:
Nigeria’s biotechnology drive, guided by the Biosafety Management Act (2015) and Bioeconomy Policy (2022), aims to transform agriculture through science. However, experts argue that policies remain technology-driven rather than equity-centered.
Reports from the African Centre for Biodiversity (2024) and HOMEF warn that current regulations lack economic and antitrust safeguards. While NBMA ensures environmental safety, it has no explicit mandate to prevent monopolies or regulate seed pricing — a crucial gap in protecting smallholders. To achieve fairness, Nigeria must pursue a dual-policy approach: promote innovation while embedding socioeconomic safeguards. This includes developing local patent licensing, empowering state-level biosafety offices, and expanding farmer access to biotechnology literacy and credit. For Nigeria’s GMO economy to endure, innovation must progress with equity, transparency, and inclusion, not ahead of them.
Inclusive agricultural economics:
As Nigeria modernizes agriculture, the GMO debate must shift from science to economic justice. Farmers are not passive recipients of innovation; they are investors in national food security. If genetically modified crops are to benefit the nation, policies must prioritize those who grow the food, not just those who design the seeds.
True progress lies in transparent governance, farmer education, and fair market systems. Supporting local seed enterprises and cooperatives can ensure that biotechnology reflects Nigeria’s unique ecology and social fabric. Biotechnology can indeed help feed a growing population, but only if it safeguards livelihoods, protects sovereignty, and shares prosperity.
An inclusive agricultural economy, not a monopolized one, will determine whether Nigeria’s GMO journey becomes empowerment or exclusion.
*Contributed by award-winning journalist/author, Remmy Nweke is a columnist at NaijaAgroNet. He could be reached on naijaagronet@gmail.com attn ‘Editor and subject’
While these developments position Nigeria as a biotechnology leader in West Africa, policy evolution remains uneven. A 2023 NBMA report confirmed that Nigeria now leads the continent in approved GM crops, yet concerns persist over regulatory independence, stakeholder awareness, and public participation. Civil society groups like the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) argue that risk assessments often prioritize scientific data over socio-economic realities.
Thus, Nigeria’s GMO landscape reflects a paradox, regulatory progress alongside a widening policy gap between innovation and inclusion. The challenge lies not in rejecting biotechnology, but in ensuring it aligns with Nigeria’s economic and food security goals without marginalizing farmers.
At the core of the GMO debate is economics — who benefits, who pays, and who controls the seed. In countries where GMO adoption has flourished, seed companies often dominate the market, holding patents that limit seed reuse. For Nigerian farmers, this introduces a new economic dynamic: increased dependence on high-cost commercial inputs.
Research by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and ActionAid Nigeria (2024) suggests that GMO seeds can cost two to three times more than conventional varieties. For smallholders who produce 80% of the nation’s food, this cost barrier directly affects affordability and sustainability. Moreover, licensing terms prevent seed-saving, forcing annual purchases.
Critics argue that such systems create seed monopolies, transferring control of food systems from farmers to corporations. Proponents counter that improved yields can offset initial costs, but this optimism assumes ideal growing conditions, strong extension services, and reliable markets — all still inconsistent across Nigeria’s agricultural zones.
The underlying question remains: Can Nigeria’s biotechnology model deliver economic empowerment, or does it risk deepening rural dependency under corporate-driven market structures?
Case studies: Bt cotton and GMO cowpea:
For instance, there are two case studies that illustrate the complexities of GMO economics in Nigeria.
First, Bt cotton, introduced to combat bollworm infestations, initially promised higher yields and reduced pesticide use. However, reports by the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA) and Daily Trust (2024) indicate mixed outcomes, while pest resistance improved, production costs rose sharply due to seed price inflation and limited domestic processing infrastructure. Consequently, farmers in Katsina and Kaduna saw modest yield gains but reduced profit margins.
Second, the PBR (Pod Borer Resistant) Cowpea, developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) and released in 2021, demonstrated better pest resistance and reduced chemical spraying by up to 80%. Yet, adoption rates remain below expectations. HOMEF’s 2024 assessment attributes this to poor rural sensitization, limited access to seeds, and skepticism over intellectual property terms.
Together, these examples highlight Nigeria’s uneven biotechnology benefits, successful research outcomes not yet translating into broad economic prosperity. The lesson is clear: innovation alone does not guarantee impact without complementary investments in market access, extension services, and price stabilization.
Impact on farmer livelihoods and rural economies:
For smallholder farmers, the promise of GMOs is often tempered by economic reality. Studies by IAR, Zaria, and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) reveal that while GMO crops may improve yields, their net economic benefit remains uneven.
In Kaduna and Katsina, several Bt cotton farmers told BusinessDay (2024) that although pest resistance improved, seed costs nearly tripled, eroding profits. Beyond input costs, farmers face systemic barriers — limited access to credit, price volatility, and the obligation to buy new seeds yearly due to patent rules. “I used to keep part of my harvest for next year,” one farmer told The Guardian. “Now, every planting season, I must buy again, even when prices rise.”
These costs ripple through rural economies: higher seed prices reduce cooperative savings and affect food affordability. Without strong extension support, inconsistent yields further strain household income. Unless policy safeguards and farmer-support mechanisms accompany GMO rollout, biotechnology risks widening inequality between large-scale farms and Nigeria’s millions of smallholders.
Nigeria’s biotechnology drive, guided by the Biosafety Management Act (2015) and Bioeconomy Policy (2022), aims to transform agriculture through science. However, experts argue that policies remain technology-driven rather than equity-centered.
Reports from the African Centre for Biodiversity (2024) and HOMEF warn that current regulations lack economic and antitrust safeguards. While NBMA ensures environmental safety, it has no explicit mandate to prevent monopolies or regulate seed pricing — a crucial gap in protecting smallholders. To achieve fairness, Nigeria must pursue a dual-policy approach: promote innovation while embedding socioeconomic safeguards. This includes developing local patent licensing, empowering state-level biosafety offices, and expanding farmer access to biotechnology literacy and credit. For Nigeria’s GMO economy to endure, innovation must progress with equity, transparency, and inclusion, not ahead of them.
Inclusive agricultural economics:
As Nigeria modernizes agriculture, the GMO debate must shift from science to economic justice. Farmers are not passive recipients of innovation; they are investors in national food security. If genetically modified crops are to benefit the nation, policies must prioritize those who grow the food, not just those who design the seeds.
An inclusive agricultural economy, not a monopolized one, will determine whether Nigeria’s GMO journey becomes empowerment or exclusion.
*Contributed by award-winning journalist/author, Remmy Nweke is a columnist at NaijaAgroNet. He could be reached on naijaagronet@gmail.com attn ‘Editor and subject’
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