The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has ordered the suspension of four new transgenic cotton hybrid varieties in Nigeria. The varieties, MIC 561 BGII, MIC 563 BGII, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1001, and BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1002, were allegedly registered by the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries on 26 March 2026 without the requisite approval of NBMA.
NBMA's Head of Information and Public Relations, Gloria Ogbaki, stated that the agency's regulatory surveillance and compliance-monitoring mechanisms identified "serious compliance abnormalities" in the varieties. The NBMA Act prohibits individuals or institutions from conducting confined field trials, multi-locational trials, or commercial release of genetically modified organisms without explicit approval from the agency.
NBMA has directed the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries to suspend further action on the varieties pending the outcome of ongoing investigations. The agency assured Nigerians that it is handling the matter with seriousness, stating that there is no evidence at this time of any immediate risk to public health or the environment.
