Malnutrition and food insecurity is rising in nations of the world with alarming statistics highlighted in Nigeria based on population increase. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) notes that up to 33.1 million Nigerians are projected to be food insecure in 2025. This projection is based on a number of factors namely: economic hardship, climate change impacts, particularly floods, which directly impact the rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities and services. Persistent violence in the northeastern states hinders food availability and access. Additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and farmer-harder conflict in the north-central states, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.
Since the set up of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act in 2015, over 20 different genetically modified crops have been approved in Nigeria for diverse reasons including for direct use as food, for feed and processing or for field trials. In January 2024, the Nigerian Government announced the official release of 21 varieties of crops including 12 varieties of the genetically modified corn popularly known as TELA Maize for open cultivation. The release of these crops is said to be government’s effort to address food insecurity in the country. Will the commercial cultivation of GMOs address the core issues named above?
HOMEF held a session of her Sustain-ability Academy on 28 February 2025 with the theme: Food Justice and Restoration. The lecture which was delivered by frontline Environmental Activist and Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, examined the use of GMOs and their implications on human rights, health, the local economy, and environment while unpacking the question of why people are hungry.
Hosted at the Faculty of Agriculture in the University of Benin, the Academy challenged the general perceptions around food as a mere commodity and stressed that it is a basic necessity and right which people need to survive and thrive. Furthermore, the session highlighted the rights of food producers and consumers, challenging prevailing narratives around food systems pushed by food imperialists who control the agricultural systems of the world, as well as promoting pathways to food justice, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability.
The Academy was attended by over 100 participants including students and lecturers from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, government representatives, journalists and civil society organisations.
Government representatives from select ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr. Igbenedion Princewill) and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability (Mr. Kenneth Woghiren), in their opening remarks, emphasized their commitment to natural food production and sustain-able land management practices that will allow the concept of food justice and food sovereignty thrive in Nigeria. “We at the Ministry of Agriculture place more emphasis on/believes in naturally grown foods. The state government has come up with policies to take care of food security in Edo State. The governor has launched the ‘Back to Farm Initiative’ to push for a return to farming in the state.” Igbenedion Princewill stated.
Mr. Kenneth Woghiren, stated: “GMOs will not come up if we are food sufficient.We in Nigeria, we can feed ourselves”, This buttresses the fact that GMOs wouldn’t be necessary if Nigeria were utilizing its arable land effectively or providing adequate support to farmers.
In his lecture, Dr Bassey emphasized that the right to safe, healthy food is fundamental for both producers and consumers. He further explained that the concept of food justice involved ensuring sustainable access to nutritious food while confronting the structural, political, social, and economic barriers—such as poverty, high food inflation, climate change, and conflict—that contribute to rising malnutrition in Nigeria and across Africa.
Dr Bassey critiqued Nigeria’s over-reliance on genetically modified crops like TELA maize, asserting that it directly undermines the rights of farmers to save, exchange, sell or reuse seeds which should ordinarily belong to them. This was due to the fact that, although farmers could replant these GMO seeds, their productivity tended to drop drastically after the first season, and this would force the farmers into a cycle of dependence on foreign seed companies.
It was emphasized that the restoration of food justice is a transformative process—a call to heal and reconnect communities with their land and heritage. The lecture advocated for a paradigm shift toward agroecological practices and regenerative agriculture, which prioritize the preservation of indigenous seeds, the restoration of healthy soils, and the empowerment of smallholder farmers.
At the end of his lecture, Dr Bassey emphasized the role of students, lecturers, civil society organizations, and farmers in challenging industrial agriculture narratives, building knowledge, and advocating for policy reforms.
The Academy thus highlighted the critical connections between food sovereignty, ecological sustainability, and social justice while providing concrete action steps for participants to contribute to a more just and sustainable food system in Nigeria.
