The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako has stated that the release of Tela Maize to farmers in the country was not ‘under political influence’.

Recall that the federal government amidst concerns over the adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria, January, approved the commercial release of the Tela maize varieties for commercial planting in the country.

The Tela maize is a maize variety that has been genetically engineered for improved insect resistance and drought tolerance, to boost farmers’ yield per hectare and also complement existing demand gaps.

The minister who was speaking during the launch of the National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Policy for Environment Sector recently, stated that the release of the genetically modified organism GMOs in Nigeria was for research, scientific evidence, and in the socio-economic interest of Nigeria.

The minister asserted that the release of genetically modified organism GMOs in Nigeria is not under political influence but done based on research, scientific evidence, and in the socio-economic interest of Nigeria.

“The current media report that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is the one enforcing GMOs in Nigeria is therefore not correct.

“ Records show that the Tela Maize was licensed in Nigeria by the National Biosafety Management Agency since 2021 after all due diligence in line with the law and global best practices,” he said.