The Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has reassured Nigerians that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food are not harmful if proper safety procedures are adhered to.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Adeyeye addressed the growing concerns surrounding the use of GMOs in Nigeria, especially following the recent approval for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified maize and cowpea.
She explained that GMOs, while often misunderstood, are safe for consumption provided that they meet established regulatory standards.
Adeyeye emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration, particularly between NAFDAC and the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), which is legally tasked with overseeing the safety of GMO products in the country.
The DG noted that NAFDAC does not approve any GMO food product without NBMA’s prior certification confirming its safety and quality.
She also highlighted the need for transparency in food labelling, stating that consumers have the right to know whether a product is genetically modified. Clear labels, she said, help Nigerians make informed decisions about what they consume.
Adeyeye further discussed NAFDAC’s recent enforcement actions targeting illegal drug markets in Lagos (Idumota), Aba, and Onitsha.
According to her, the agency had to dismantle entrenched criminal networks operating in these markets. She noted that these groups were responsible for the circulation of expired, banned, and substandard drugs.
Over 1,300 security personnel were involved in the raids, which she described as a major operation treated with the seriousness of a military exercise.
NAFDAC worked with market unions to identify infractions, discovering widespread poor storage practices that could compromise even legitimate products. Markets with no violations were reopened, while offenders faced penalties.
Adeyeye emphasised that NAFDAC’s long-term strategy is to move all open drug markets into regulated Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), similar to the one already functioning in Kano. These centres allow for better oversight as regulatory agencies are permanently present to monitor operations.
