A viral video by Joseph Okechukwu claims that the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a Bill Gates-funded “artificial maize.” The video has garnered 67k views on YouTube.
Genetically modified maize (corn) is a crop genetically engineered to express desirable traits, such as resistance to pests and herbicides. These maize strains are in use in various countries.
In 2021, Nigeria’s National Biosafety Management Agency granted a permit for the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) to conduct advanced yield trials on genetically modified maize. These trials took place during the 2021-22 dry season, with seeds expected for commercial release by the 2023 cropping season.
In January 2024, the Nigerian government approved 23 new maize varieties for commercial planting, including four genetically modified TELA Maize varieties. This makes Nigeria the second African country to approve the commercialization of genetically engineered maize.
Zimbabwe banned the importation and distribution of genetically modified crops in 2002 until their safety could be assured.
Zambia, Mexico, and Turkey have restricted GMOs to animal feed only.
A Kenyan court recently allowed the importation and cultivation of genetically modified crops.
In Nigeria, the House of Representatives has called for the suspension of commercial GMO usage pending further investigation into its safety. Despite 27 years of GMO maize cultivation in South Africa, efforts to replicate this success in Kenya and other African nations have been met with mixed results.
In Nigeria, the approval of GMO corn for planting has faced criticism.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invests significantly in agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
This includes support for public-sector crop breeding programs and crop research to improve agricultural productivity.
The Foundation’s investments aim to accelerate the breeding of new crop varieties to help farmers adapt to climate change and other challenges.
The TELA Maize project, developed by the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, in collaboration with the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners.
The claim that Nigeria launched a Bill Gates-funded “artificial maize” is false. The TELA Maize in question is a genetically modified organism (GMO) developed through a legitimate scientific process and funded by multiple partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
