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By Grateful Ogunjebe
In March 2026, many Nigerian newspapers published articles about genetically modified crops (GMCs) and foods, as well as their potential approval and adoption in the country. The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has even reassured Nigerians on the safety of GMCs. In June 2024, entrepreneur and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, visited Nigeria to discuss the investments and the safety of these foods.
To understand the concepts of these biotechnological innovations, the expertise of Chinechendo Eze was sought. Eze is a food microbiologist, biotechnologist, plant geneticist, and a doctoral researcher (in environmental and evolutionary biology) at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States, with more than 10 years of teaching and research experience. Inputs from her media interventions and published scholarly work were germane in proffering basic insights on these issues.
In a December 2025 The Guardian newspaper publication, titled, Why Nigeria should embrace genetically modified crops, Eze stressed that GMCs help farmers harvest more from the same land, adding, “Rapid population growth mounts increasing pressure on naturally produced food crops, often resulting in scarcity when yields cannot keep up with rising demand.”
In a November 2025 interview published in the Nigerian Tribune newspaper, titled Applied wisely, genetically modified crops can feed the world, Eze stated that from genetic crop improvement to microbial soil treatments and precision farming, a wave of innovation is transforming agriculture. She added that the future of food security must be both scientifically driven and socially conscious.
On a scholarly level, in a co-authored research work, titled Phenotypic analysis and characterization methods for transgenic Setaria viridis: From morphology to molecular markers: A comprehensive review, published in 2025 in the Journal of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Animal Science (JAAAS), Eze and her team demonstrated that researchers can build comprehensive genotypephenotype maps in S. viridis, thereby streamlining gene validation and informing next-generation plant biotechnology applications.
The work serves as a model for dissecting and validating gene functions relevant to crop improvement and for enabling the rapid identification of candidate genes and traits that are both biologically interesting and agronomically promising. They also found that, as S. viridis continues to mature as a model, several future directions can further enhance its utility in plant biotechnology research.
In a similar research work, titled Genotype-by-environment interactions in transgenic crops: A critical review of gene function validation under variable agronomic conditions, published in 2025 in the Journal of Environment Climate and Ecology (JECE), Eze and her team described situations in which the phenotypic difference between genotypes changes across environments, producing non-parallel reaction norms rather than a uniform shift in trait means. They explained that for breeders and farmers, G×E interactions can reorder genotype rankings across locations, complicating predictions of yield or resistance; and, for regulators, it poses a biosafety and performance question.
Their report concluded that for transgenic crops, this means a gene’s function is inseparable from the environmental envelopes in which it is deployed. They added that engineering choices must match realism.
Prediction should precede planting: Artificial intelligence (AI) models and crop simulators can map where crossover is most likely, guiding scarce field trials to the environments that matter, the report concluded.
Sustainable agriculture and food-related research are central to Chinechendo Ezes work. As a microbiologist and food security advocate, Eze and her research team investigated the effect of fungi activities on food crops through an article titled Assessment of fungal responsible for the deterioration of sweet potatoes in the Tudun Wada Market, Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria published in 2024 in the Universal Journal of Plant Science. They found that post-harvest storage and transportation challenges make crops, such as sweet potatoes, susceptible to spoilage, leading to substantial economic losses for farmers and vendors.
Their findings revealed that high moisture content and low mechanical strength of fresh roots, coupled with their elevated respiratory rate, create conditions conducive to microbial decay, predominantly caused by fungi and bacteria.
The researchers stated that fungi play a significant role in post-harvest deterioration, emphasising the need for a comprehensive evaluation and characterization of the fungal strains responsible for food crop spoilage.
To mitigate these losses, implementing improved storage practices, such as controlled humidity and temperature, and introducing post-harvest management strategies could enhance sweet potato quality, ensuring a more sustainable supply chain and economic resilience for traders, the team added.
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Microbiology and biotechnology are playing critical roles in how plastics and microplastics are managed in the human body and the environment generally. Eze and her research team have worked on microorganisms and enzymes that can mitigate the negative effects of plastics in the environment.
In a co-authored scholarly work titled Microbial consortia: Synergistic effects on plastic degradation and enzyme production, published in 2025 in the Journal of Medical Science, Biology, and Chemistry (JMSBC), Eze and her team revealed that through cooperative metabolism and complementary enzyme production, microbial consortia diverse communities of bacteria, fungi, or both have shown synergistic capacities to break down otherwise resistant plastics, outperforming single isolates. They opined that future waste management solutions are informed by these insights into both the ecology of natural plastispheres and engineered microbial systems.
Ongoing research and development in this interdisciplinary domain will be essential for converting laboratory achievements into practical bioremediation and recycling initiatives, advancing us toward a circular plastic economy in which microbial communities are crucial for degrading and enhancing the value of plastic waste, they reported.
Chinechendo Eze noted that the fear and concern about GMCs are understandable, but largely stem from misinformation. She said that such crops are among the most thoroughly tested foods in the world, stressing that before any such crop reaches consumers, it undergoes rigorous testing for safety, nutritional value, and environmental impact.
The biotechnologist emphasised that for GMCs to serve Nigeria well, the country must strengthen agricultural research and innovation, adding, We need to invest in biotechnology and crop improvement to develop high-yield, climate-resilient varieties suited to local soils. Universities and research institutes must be equipped with modern laboratories, strong funding, and mentorship programmes for young scientists.
As a food security advocate, she said that she imagines a future where innovation, sustainability, and inclusiveness drive food production. She further said that climate change, soil depletion, and population growth are major challenges, but they also create opportunities for bold solutions.
From genetic crop improvement to microbial soil treatments and precision farming, a wave of innovation is transforming agriculture. We need biotechnology to develop crops that withstand drought and salinity, but we also need fair policies that ensure that smallholder farmers, women, and youth have access to these innovations, she said.
She stressed that innovation must move from the laboratory to the land. She stated that establishing community innovation hubs and demonstration farms across regions would help train farmers in improved seed use, soil testing, irrigation, and post-harvest handling.
Apart from her doctoral work, she serves as a graduate teaching assistant, where she teaches undergraduate biology labs. “Teaching has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey. It allows me to mentor young scientists and help them discover the beauty of research. I also help train new teaching assistants to build their confidence and teaching skills.”
Chinechendo Eze is also involved in community outreach and advocacy for women and mothers in science, and belongs to Sigma Xi, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), and Mothers in Science.
· Ogunjebe, an author with interest in biotechnology, writes via email
