*ADVERTORIAL*
23rd March, 2025
*AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: URGENT ACTION REQUIRED TO STOP NIGERIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN UPOV—A THREAT TO NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY
Dear Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives,
Summary: Nigeria’s impending membership in UPOV threatens food security by allowing foreign biotechnlogy companies to patent seeds, forcing farmers to pay for genetically modified (GMO) crops. Through cross-pollination, Nigeria’s indigenous crops will be contaminated and fall under corporate control. Evidence suggests these biotech companies along with USAID have funded Boko Haram to eliminate natural seed growers, clearing the way for GMOs. This is a national security crisis that demands urgent action to halt Nigeria UPOV membership before the March 27, 2025 deadline. A Presidential Executive Order and National Assembly resolution are needed immediately to protect Nigeria’s agricultural sovereignty.
We write to you today with a deep sense of urgency and grave concern regarding Nigeria’s impending membership in the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). This decision, scheduled for March 27, 2025, poses an immediate and existential threat to Nigeria’s food security, sovereignty, and the survival of our indigenous farmers. If Nigeria joins UPOV, we will be handing over control of our agriculture, seeds, and future food supply to powerful foreign biotechnology corporations whose sole interest is to monopolize food production and impose dependency on patented genetically modified (GMO) crops.
THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER OF NIGERIA’S UPOV MEMBERSHIP
The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has justified Nigeria’s UPOV membership by claiming it will enable plant breeders to register new varieties more efficiently and attract investment. What they fail to tell you is that this move will allow foreign corporations to patent and control the very seeds Nigerian farmers depend on to grow food.
Once these companies gain a foothold in our agricultural system, they will introduce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) disguised as “improved crop varieties.” Through cross-pollination, these GMO crops will contaminate our indigenous crops, embedding patented genetic material into Nigeria’s natural food sources. Over time, these companies will claim ownership of our indigenous crops through intellectual property rights, forcing Nigerian farmers to either pay for patented seeds every planting season or face legal action for “infringing” on corporate seed patents.
The consequences are dire:
• Loss of indigenous seeds: Our farmers will become totally dependent on foreign corporations for seeds, destroying Nigeria’s traditional agriculture.
• Massive increase in farming costs: Farmers will be forced to pay licensing fees to use patented seeds, making farming unaffordable.
• Famine and food crisis: When foreign companies control Nigeria’s food supply, they will dictate prices and availability, leading to widespread hunger and economic hardship.
• Destruction of Nigeria’s agricultural independence: Our ability to feed ourselves as a nation will no longer be in our hands but controlled by multinational corporations.
A HIDDEN WAR: BIOTECH CORPORATIONS AND THE SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISM
For over a decade, biotechnology corporations have actively sought to take over Nigeria’s agricultural sector by force. Boko Haram insurgents, disguised as religious extremists, have been strategically deployed to eliminate natural seed growers and traditional farmers, particularly in Nigeria’s food-producing belt. Recent investigations in the United States have revealed that biotech corporations, in collaboration with USAID, have been major financiers of Boko Haram’s operations in Nigeria. Their agenda has always been clear: to create instability, wipe out traditional agriculture, and pave the way for GMO seeds to dominate Nigeria’s food system.
Between 2015 and 2018 alone, over 37,500 Nigerians were killed by Boko Haram attacks, with 85% of the victims being Muslims. In states like Zamfara, 60% of the victims were Hausa Muslims, and 40% were Fulani Muslims—showing that this is not a religious war but an economic war waged against Nigerian farmers. By clearing out natural seed growers through violence, biotech corporations are laying the groundwork for GMO crops to take over.
UPOV: THE FINAL TOOL FOR TOTAL CONTROL
If Nigeria becomes a UPOV member, biotech companies will no longer need violent insurgents to capture our food system. UPOV will grant them legal authority to take over through “intellectual property rights” on seeds. They will enforce their patents through international courts, bankrupting any farmer who dares to save and replant seeds without paying exorbitant fees.
We must not allow this to happen. Nigeria’s membership in UPOV is not just a bad economic decision—it is a matter of national security.
IMMEDIATE PLAN OF ACTION
To protect Nigeria’s food security and sovereignty, the following actions must be taken immediately:
- A Presidential Executive Order must be issued to withdraw Nigeria from any commitments towards UPOV membership. This is an urgent matter of national security that requires immediate intervention from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
- The National Assembly must pass a resolution declaring a moratorium on Nigeria’s accession to UPOV. The government must conduct a full investigation into the implications of UPOV membership before any further steps are taken.
- A national inquiry must be launched into the role of foreign biotech companies in Nigeria’s agricultural policies and their connections to terrorist activities. These companies have been operating under the guise of “investment” while actively working to destabilize our food system.
- Strengthen Nigeria’s seed protection laws to protect indigenous farmers from foreign exploitation. Nigeria must establish laws that prevent foreign corporations from patenting indigenous seeds and traditional farming methods. The National Seed Council has to be reconstituted with members with patriotic allegiance to Nigeria and not proxies of biotechnology companies.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT—WE MUST ACT NOW
Nigeria’s food security is under attack, and the deadline for UPOV membership is just a a few days away ob 27th March, 2025. This is not a decision that can be postponed or ignored. If we fail to act now, we will be condemning future generations of Nigerians to a lifetime of dependency on foreign corporations for the most basic human need—food.
We call on every patriotic legislator in the National Assembly to rise to the occasion and defend the sovereignty of Nigeria’s food system. Let history remember that when Nigeria’s food security was threatened, you stood on the side of the people and fought for their right to control their own agriculture.
With utmost urgency,
PCNjemanze
Academician (Prof.) Prince Dr Philip C. Njemanze MD. (Hons.)
Chairman, Global Prolife Alliance GPA, Council on World Peace.