NBMA discloses disposal of 950kg unapproved GM cotton seeds from Fiyah Global Concept Limited
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) disclosed on Friday that it had disposed of 57 cartons of transgenic hybrid cotton seeds weighing approximately 950 kilograms. The seeds, traced to Fiyah Global Concept Limited, were introduced and handled without the regulatory approvals required under Nigeria's Biosafety Management Act. NBMA Director-General Fatima Suleiman-Zuntu stated the action followed intelligence gathering, surveillance, and a comprehensive investigation, emphasizing it was a regulatory compliance breach—not a biosafety or public health risk.
This enforcement comes four months after NBMA suspended four new GM cotton varieties (MIC 561 BGII, MIC 563 BGII, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1001, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1002) in March over similar approval concerns. Nigeria has approved four GM crops—maize, cowpea, cotton, and soybean—for commercialization, but weak regulatory enforcement remains a concern in the biotech sector. The agency imposed administrative sanctions on Fiyah Global Concept Limited and urged all researchers and seed companies to obtain NBMA approvals before conducting GMO activities.
NBMA stresses that compliance is non-negotiable for maintaining biosafety system integrity, urging stakeholders to prioritize regulatory adherence over commercial interests. Researchers and companies must secure all necessary approvals before engaging with genetically modified organisms in Nigeria.