By Chinyere Anyanwu
Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, has emphasised the critical role of genetically modified organism (GMO) products in addressing the challenges faced by Nigerian farmers.
He stated that the country’s journey towards food sufficiency hinges on significant investments in GMOs, particularly those made by the Federal Government in collaboration with Nigerian scientists.
Speaking on bChannels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Abdullahi explained that GMOs are an essential tool for overcoming various agricultural hurdles, particularly the need to increase crop production. He stressed that such advancements are necessary to meet Nigeria’s growing food demands and strengthen its agricultural sector.
“The march toward food sufficiency requires substantial investments in GMOs,” the Minister remarked. “This is crucial if Nigeria is to address its agricultural challenges, especially the urgent need to boost crop production.”
He further explained that GMOs are developed with the goal of introducing specific desirable traits into crops to enhance their productivity and resilience. “Modification of crops is aimed at attaining a desired trait in a variety, for example, higher yield or pest resistance,” Aliyu noted. “For instance, if you take a variety resistant to pests, there is a specific code for that trait. You can transfer that code to a high-yielding variety, merging the two to create a genetically modified crop that combines both attributes: pest resistance and high production.”
According to him, the focus must be on ensuring that such genetic modifications are carried out by Nigerian scientists, which would address concerns over foreign influence in the GMO process.
“If the right steps are followed and if it’s done by our own scientists, the fears about foreign additives or unsafe elements are eliminated,” he explained.
“Our scientists have the capability to handle this, but we must allocate more resources to enable them to do so.”
The Minister called for a stronger commitment to investing in agricultural biotechnology, acknowledging that while the cost of such investments is high, the benefits far outweigh the initial outlay.
“We simply have to spend more money to support our scientists,” he said. “Given the enormous potential that GMOs offer, this investment is not only necessary but urgent if we are to improve our agricultural production and achieve food security.”