The Executive Director of the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), Prof. Qrisstuberg Amua, has raised concerns over the health dangers associated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), particularly GMO-induced foods and grains.
Amua made the statement during a press briefing held in Abuja on Friday.
According to the correspondent, GMOs refer to plants, animals, or microorganisms whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques to produce specific traits, such as longer shelf life, higher yields, or resistance to pests.
Amua alleged that GMOs could increase the risk of colon cancer.
“Many GMO-induced foods are not easily digested and, as a result, may lead to colon cancer,” he said.
The professor called for a total rejection of GMOs, warning that their consumption could affect natural human biology.
“It can cause impotency; it can cause infertility in both men and women,” he added.
He urged political leaders to develop strong resolve against the spread of GMO products in Nigeria and praised some African countries for their refusal to adopt them.
Amua also dismissed claims that GMOs contribute to food security, describing such assertions as both dangerous and misleading.
Also speaking, CEFSAR Deputy Director, Dr Segun Adebayo, called on the media to play a more active role in challenging GMO-related narratives.
Adebayo urged journalists to question the validity of claims made about GMOs, which are often presented as scientific consensus.
“It is time for us to begin to conduct our own research and reject imported ideas that encourage self-destruction,” he said.
He argued that GMOs are not regenerative, making them incompatible with nature’s laws of regeneration.
Adebayo also cautioned against the actions of certain government officials who, he claimed, promote GMO use for questionable reasons.
(NAN)