Women leaders and farmers across Cross River state have joined the growing national campaign to ban Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria, pledging to promote organic and sustainable farming practices in their communities NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
At a sensitisation forum held in Bakassi on Thursday, female council leaders, including Rt. Hon. Grace Bassey, Leader of the 7th Bakassi Legislative Assembly, and Princess Christiana Eso, Vice Chairperson of Bakassi Local Government, declared their commitment to championing food safety and environmental sustainability at the grassroots.
Speaking at the event at Ikot Effiom in Bakassi, Bassey decried the increasing infiltration of GMO products into local food markets, warning that “foreign-controlled seed monopolies threaten the survival of indigenous crops and farmers’ independence.” She emphasised that rural women, who form the bulk of smallholder farmers, “must be empowered to protect Nigeria’s natural agricultural heritage.”
On her part, Eso noted that the campaign is not merely about opposing technology but about protecting human health, biodiversity, and community livelihoods.
“We are not against science,” she said, “but we insist on responsible, transparent agricultural practices that respect our environment and our people’s right to safe food.”
The forum, which forms part of a broader national advocacy effort led by civil society organisation, namely , Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOME-F) in collaboration with Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF) and other environmental groups, aims to pressure lawmakers and regulatory agencies like NAFDAC to enforce a total ban on the importation, cultivation, and sale of genetically modified seeds and food products.
Participants at the event—including local farmers, women, and youth—also resolved to launch grassroots awareness drives to educate rural households about the risks associated with GMOs and the benefits of organic agriculture.
Environmental activists like Rev’d Nnimmo Bassey of HOME-F have long warned that GMOs undermine soil fertility and erode indigenous crop diversity. They argue that Nigeria, with its rich agro-ecological zones, should instead focus on scaling up sustainable farming systems that are climate-resilient and community-driven.
The women leaders commended Cross River State’s history of environmental stewardship, citing its record of forest conservation and green policies. They expressed optimism that the state could become a model for natural farming in Nigeria and the wider West African region.
“From our council chambers to our farms, we are taking a stand for healthy food, healthy families, and a healthy environment,” Bassey affirmed.
HOME-F’s recent intervention in Bakassi was inspired by a recent meeting between Rt. Hon. Bassey and Rev’d Bassey in Uyo during a civil society engagement. She appreciated him for keeping it his promise of coming to Bakassi to facilitate anti-GMO campaigns.
