NBMA Suspends Registration of GM Cotton Varieties Over Violations

News In Brief

-The National Biosafety Management Agency suspends registration of four transgenic cotton varieties for regulatory violations.

-The agency's Director-General emphasised that all GMO activities must receive explicit approval from the relevant agency under the 2015 Act, with sanctions for violations. 

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has suspended the registration of four new transgenic cotton hybrid varieties in Nigeria. These varieties, which include MIC 561 BGII, MIC 563 BGII, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1001, and BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1002, were suspended after routine regulatory surveillance and compliance-monitoring mechanisms identified serious compliance abnormalities in the varieties. 

This development was revealed in a press briefing by the NBMA Director-General, Mr Bello Bawa Bwari, in Abuja on Tuesday. Stating the root of the anomaly, Bwari explained that the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries registered the varieties on March 26 without the agency's mandatory approval under the National Biosafety Management Act 2015 (as amended).

“At no time did the National Biosafety Management Agency grant any approval for the confined field trials, multi-locational trials, or commercial release of the new GM cotton varieties,” he stated.

He also revealed that further investigations by the agency confirmed that confined field trials and related activities for these varieties proceeded without prior authorisation, inspection, or oversight, constituting a clear violation of national regulations.

Regulatory Framework and Violations

Under the NBMA Act, no person or institution may conduct confined field trials, multi-locational trials, or commercial releases of GMOs without explicit NBMA approval. 

Bwari stressed that any actions outside this framework breach biosafety protocols designed to protect public health, the environment, and biodiversity. The agency has directed the National Committee to halt all further actions on these varieties pending ongoing investigations, with appropriate sanctions to follow.

Suspended Cotton Variety and GMO Concern

The suspended hybrid cotton varieties were announced among the 25 approved crop varieties at the 36th Meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries.

MIC 561 BG II and MIC 563 BG II were developed by Mahyco, while BIOSEED-FIYAH CH 1001 and CH 1002 were developed by Shriram Bioseed Genetics. Both companies are Indian agricultural firms that focus on developing crops.

While the crops themselves have not been faulted, as the NBMA already assures no immediate risks to health or the environment from these varieties, the process of their registration and announcement is what is in question. 

This incident underscores persistent challenges in Nigeria's GMO governance, where coordination between agencies sometimes falters, further raising awareness about the importance of regulatory efficiency and transparency at the pace of innovation in GMO crops.