Just two weeks after Nigeria’s federal government approved the commercialization of Bt cotton, scientists scored another victory with a court judgment that rejected objections raised by anti-GMO activist groups.
In September 2017, a group of 17 non-governmental organizations [sued] the federal government …. seeking to block the deployment of Bt cotton and genetically improved varieties of maize.
….
The activist groups asked the court to revoke the permit granted to [National Biotechnology Development Agency] for the confined field trial of [two varieties of GMO corn] in Nigeria …. The groups …. maintained that issuing the permits to both Monsanto and NABDA constituted a threat to the fundamental human rights of the general public ….
Delivering judgment [August 14th], Justice A.R. Mohammed …. dismissed the action on the grounds that …. the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain [the case] …. He added that the matter was not a fundamental rights issue.
…
… Dr. Rose Gidado, an assistant director at NABDA, said the victory was an important step for biotech in Nigeria.
“This is a milestone,” she said. “This means that Nigeria is ready to go ahead, to really adopt this technology and move forward. It means a lot to food security.”
Read full, original article: Anti-GMO activists lose landmark court case in Nigeria
