- Warn Genetically Modified Species Could Be Weaponized
- Call For Natural Solutions To Control Vectors
A coalition of over 75 Civil Society Organizations operating in Africa and elsewhere around the world has condemned reported moves to open the way for the release of Genetically Modified (GM) mosquitoes in Nigeria, urging the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to halt the move.
The groups worry that any such release of GM genes of mosquitoes into the wild population could potentially harm human lives in Africa’s largest country, endangering species of birds, insects and mammals that feed on the mosquitoes.
The groups kicked against the ongoing efforts, following recent meetings held by Nigerian authorities that could possibly lead to the speedy release of the modified mosquito genes in Nigeria and around West Africa, amid health and environmental concerns as experts have said there are no peer review assessments and international protocol yet to regulate the release of GM mosquitoes in the world.
Director of Nigeria’s National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Mr. Rufus Ebegba had on Friday, 6th June said “there is the need to accelerate the development of regulatory pathways for genetically based vector control methods such as transgenic mosquitoes.”
Ebegba was quoted to have made the statement at a virtual meeting of the West African Integrated Vector Management Programme. He is currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Programme.
Also, on 30 June 2020, NBMA held a meeting to review the National Guidelines on the Regulation of Gene Editing. The Director of the agency, Ebegba also reportedly said: “these guidelines are not to impede on the technology but to see how this technology is applied to enhance our economy and to assist the government…”
Condemning the move and comments credited to the NBMA Director, the groups in a press statement made available to The New Diplomat raised grave concerns over the planned introduction of the transgenic mosquitoes (as well as other risky and unproven technologies) into Nigeria as such releases pose serious risks to humans, biodiversity and to ecosystem balance.
The groups noted that presently there is no peer reviewed assessments for these transgenic mosquitos; no international protocols for evaluating their safety implications and the technology is dependent on and controlled by corporate bodies.
According to the Director of HOMEF and environmentalist, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, the said regulatory pathways for genetically engineered vector control of mosquitoes are actually rigged pathways to make our environment the test ground for the risky and needless experimentation.
“From our experience with genetically modified food crops in Nigeria, having the provisions in place to regulate the release of such organisms is equivalent to express permits for their introduction as the agency responsible for this regulation acts more like a promoter of the technology than a regulator. Nigeria must show leadership in the protection of African biodiversity and not allow an agency of government run amok with whatever technologies promoters suggest to it,” he said.
Bassey added that tampering with genetic materials of living organisms is already creating problems in the world with the emergence and spread of zoonotic infections occasioned largely by loss of genetic diversity and habitat losses due to such manipulations.
“The shortcoming of these transgenic mosquitoes is already evident from the experiments done in Brazil and in Burkina Faso,” says Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, Coordinator of the Food Sovereignty Program of Friends of the Earth, Nigeria and Africa.
“The release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil between 2013 and 2015 by the biotech company, Oxitec with the plan to reduce the number of disease-carrying mosquitoes is shown to have resulted (in addition to the fact that the population of mosquitoes bounced back after a few months) to unexpected transfer of genes from the gene-edited mosquitoes to the native insects which gave rise to tougher hybrid species”, she explained.
The groups in the statement further revealed that: “In July 2019, the genetically modified mosquitoes were released in Bana village in Burkina Faso by the Target Malaria research consortium as an initial test run before the open releases of gene drive mosquitoes, with the aim to reduce population of Anopheles mosquitoes that causes malaria.
“The failure of this release include the incidental release of some biting female mosquitoes during the experiments which puts the community people at risk.
“Also, Target Malaria made claims of community acceptance for the project whereas testimonies from community people reveal that they have not been properly informed about the project or its potential risks. This is not different from the experience we have had with genetically modified cowpea and cotton which have been approved for commercial release in Nigeria.
“Third, there is no published environmental risk assessment, besides an incomprehensive one published by Target Malaria. Again this has been the case in Nigeria with acclaimed risk assessment done on genetically modified crops as results of such assessments are not made available to the public or subjected to open and transparent consultation. We have no confidence that the situation will be different with the transgenic mosquitoes or that requirements for liability and redress will be enforced.”
Checks show that the release of GM mosquitoes in Burkina Faso is the first open release in Africa.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has reviewed (in 2019) its biosafety law to include definitions on extreme technologies including gene drives, so as to pave way for their adoption. The review, according to stakeholders was speedily proposed and approved despite strenuous objections sent by groups including HOMEF, whereas there have been calls over the years to review the law to close existing fundamental gaps which make it impossible for it to serve the interests of the people.
“While we appreciate that malaria is a problem in Nigeria and many other nations and that urgent measures to address it are needed, we believe that transgenic mosquitoes are not the solution. GM mosquitoes are a relatively new application of GM technology and present very different risks, and for which the international community has had virtually no risk assessment or regulatory experience. Nigeria does not need GMOs and no matter what their sponsors claim, we don’t have the capacity nor experience to dabble into this new, unfamiliar and risky technology,” the statement read.
The groups comprised of 75 CSOs, however, condemned any plans to introduce the transgenic mosquitoes or any other gene edited organisms into Nigeria.
They asked regulatory agencies not sell off Nigerians as guinea pigs for risky technologies such as gene drives which have the potential to wipe off a whole population of species amid fears of deploying such species as biological weapon.
Instead of embarking on Genetically Modified solutions to health and environmental issues, they called on government to support natural vector control measures which are safe and effective including by providing better sanitation and housing for underserved Nigerians.
The groups include: Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)-Nigeria; GMO-Free Nigeria; Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Nigeria; Initiative for Participation Accountability and Incisive Development (I-PAID); and Women Environment and Youth Development Initiative (WOYODEV)-Nigeria.
Among several dozens of NGOs are Regional Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (ReSCOPE), Zimbabwe; Biowatch South Africa; Banana Link, UK; Prof. Ignacio Chapela, PhD; EcoNexus; and Washington Biotechnology Action Council, USA.
