In the recent past, the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) has dominated the Nigerian media space when food and nutrition security and indeed anything concerning agriculture is discussed.

The issue reached a climax in the last few days following the launch of the TELA Maize varieties by the federal government. The only possible conclusion from the barrage of media attacks on the technology from around the country could be ignorance. Otherwise, how does one explain the fact that genetically modified organisms have been instrumental in stabilising the global health sector with the production of many lifesaving vaccines but when such technologies are deployed in agriculture, it becomes a huge challenge.

The adoption of genetically modified organisms in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general is suffering serious setbacks due to the high level of ignorance among the masses and fueled by the elites who had opportunities that most members of the society do not have.

Genetically modified technology is viewed by some people as a ploy by the Western power to impoverish Africa while promoting their own products. Some view it as a sinister move to eradicate Africa’s indigenous seeds and replace them with foreign seeds.

In some quarters, there has been a religious correlation hung on GMO, as some said the promoters of this technology are trying to recreate what God has created, which means they are challenging God.

These views and many others including speculations that the consumption of GM foods would either lead to infertility or cancer is so entrenched in the minds of the public that one is ashamed when some intellectuals present their arguments against GMOs.

According to the US FDA, GMO foods are as healthy and safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. Some GMO plants have been modified to improve their nutritional value.

An example is GMO soybeans with healthier oils that can be used to replace oils that contain trans fats. Since GMO foods were introduced in the 1990s, research has shown that they are just as safe as non-GMO foods.

Additionally, research shows that GMO plants fed to farm animals are as safe as non-GMO animal food

Nigerians are very religious and will not give room for anything to interfere with their faith. This makes us very vulnerable to some fallacies which the anti-technology churns out daily to discourage people from adopting this technology.

All these boil down to the fact that the Nigerian masses are highly ignorant when it comes to modern technology.

Also, they have been reluctant to ask questions to understand the issues around GMOs.

Now, those who misinform the public about GMOs may be doing that ignorantly, because some of the misinformation they spread about the technology has been addressed several times they have also refused to tell the unsuspecting masses that some countries have successfully used the technology to address their food security challenges and industrialise their economy.

These persons who kick against GMOs will never tell their audience that the three GM crops released in Nigeria for commercialization were developed in Nigeria by Nigerian scientists. Rather they will create terrible images that will scare people away from accepting the technology.

Also, the anti-technologies have refused to tell their audience that the Nigerian textile industry has been comatose for over 30 years and that the genetically modified cotton that has been commercialized will pave the way for its revival and give Nigerians an opportunity to earn a living.

Farmers can get a yield of 4.1 to 4.4 tons per hectare from this transgenic cotton variety as against the 600 to 900-kilogram yield the old variety gives. This is a significant move towards industrialization and must be supported.

Efforts of Nigerian scientists especially those at IAR which resulted in the development and release of Africa’s first GM cowpea and Nigeria’s first GM maize must be commended as a feat by Nigerians for Nigeria.

Ignorance across the various facets of society has continued to fester to the extent that some Nigerian lawmakers have joined the train which led to the call by few of them to discontinue the deployment of this technology.

This is the height of the ignorance about this modern technology propagated by the anti-technology crusaders who have their motive why they are hell-bent on kicking against modern technologies.

Recently, Nigeria released the TELA maize which has been developed to withstand drought, stem borers, and fall armyworms the varieties yield more when compared to the conventional maize varieties that our farmers have used over the years.

Generally, most Nigerians do not ask critical questions before they consume information, which is why they are easily misinformed. Nigerians are also known to be highly emotional and religious, so, when they are told that consuming a particular thing will either kill them or sever their ties with their creators, they will not ask questions, rather they will comply and abstain from consuming such food.

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), through the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, has been doing a lot in terms of educating Nigerians on the need to be informed about the technology.

This is also a call to the government agencies directly dealing with biotechnology and biosafety to up their game in terms of awareness creation and sensitisation especially in the rural communities and among farmers for wider adoption and cultivation of this technology.

There is a need to purge Nigerians of these toxic messages and misinformation circulated by the anti-technology groups and embark on a massive public awareness and sensitisation programme that will correctly inform and educate Nigeria on the benefits of genetically modified organisms as it is only one of the tools in the box and offers farmers an option as it is clearly stated in the NBMA Act 2015 as amended that no Nigerian will be forced to eat or plant GM crops.