The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Nigeria, in collaboration with the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), held a one-day sensitisation workshop to deepen journalists’ understanding of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and foster evidence-based reporting on agricultural biotechnology.
The workshop, which took place recently in Abuja, was designed to bridge the gap between the media and the scientific community, enabling journalists to engage with experts and build accurate narratives around GMOs.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General/CEO of NBRDA, described the workshop as timely, especially as developing nations face compounding challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, and biotic and abiotic stresses.
“Responsibly developed and effectively adopted agricultural biotechnology offers a powerful set of tools to address these interconnected problems,” Prof. Mustapha stated.
He highlighted Nigeria’s progress in deploying biotechnology to support smallholder farmers, citing examples of high-yielding, drought-tolerant maize, herbicide-tolerant soybeans, and pod borer-resistant cowpea as transformative innovations that improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
Despite the promise of these technologies, Mustapha warned about the dangers of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, stressing their capacity to mislead the public and undermine trust in science.
“These distortions of truth are dangerous because they lead people to make decisions based on inaccurate or false information,” he cautioned, underscoring the media’s role in providing accurate, evidence-based reporting.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Mr. Gboyega Onadiran, described GMOs as a contentious topic, noting that the workshop offered a unique opportunity for journalists to interact with experts and gain clarity on both the potential benefits and perceived risks of modern biotechnology.
Participants were taken through critical topics, including the science of agricultural biotechnology, biotechnology tools for enhancing farm productivity, and the safety of modern biotechnology in Nigeria.
In his presentation, Dr. Rufus Ebegba emphasized Nigeria’s strong regulatory framework for biotechnology, declaring that “Nigeria has the best biotechnology policy in the world” and asserting that “nobody can stop GMO in the world.”
The workshop aimed to empower journalists to create effective counter-narratives against misinformation and contribute to a more informed national discourse on GMOs. Participants described the training as rewarding, recognizing its value in promoting accurate reporting and building trust in science.
Prof. Mustapha concluded by highlighting the media’s crucial influence on innovation, trust, and community empowerment, stating,
“Your narratives can spark innovation, build trust in science, foster unity, and empower communities.”
This initiative marks a significant step toward fostering balanced, evidence-based dialogue on GMOs and biotechnology in Nigeria’s media landscape.
