Consumers interviewed in three Nigerian states said they could not tell whether maize they purchased was genetically modified, PREMIUM TIMES reported, highlighting the gap between crop regulation and information reaching households.
The investigation ran from June 2025 to July 2026 and covered farms, markets, processors and homes in Kano, Kaduna and Niger states. Its findings describe those locations, not a national consumer survey. In Bichi, Kano State, resident Hauwa Saminu said she buys maize for her 12-member household without knowing its type. “Nobody has ever told me whether it is TELA maize or conventional maize,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.
TELA maize was developed to tolerate drought and resist pests including stem borers and fall armyworm. The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) approved the crop for commercial release in 2021. On Jan. 11, 2024, the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries registered four hybrids for commercial planting: SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T and SAMMAZ 75T.
Nigeria’s biosafety regulations require genetically modified organisms and products derived from them to carry identifying information, including a unique identifier and details of their traits. Labels may be omitted when accidental mixing leaves a product with less than 4% GM content, provided the mixing could not be prevented with available techniques. An Abuja study published in 2025 detected GMO-related sequences in 11 of 15 processed or semi-processed packaged foods. Two of the positive products identified GM ingredients on their labels; the study did not test specifically for TELA.
Seed supply may constrain expansion. A USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report, citing local contacts, said Nigeria imported 40 metric tons of TELA seed from South Africa in 2024 and 30 metric tons in 2025. The report cited an OAA-Lagos contact who said fewer than 10 of about 420 Nigerian seed companies could reproduce hybrid seed.
A 2025 study covering 134 plots across six states found mean yields of 5.85 metric tons per hectare for TELA maize and 3.11 for non-TELA maize. The researchers calculated an 88% advantage in the sampled fields; the result is not a national estimate.
In February 2025, NBMA held a meeting to discuss post-release monitoring procedures. NBMA Acting Director of Biosafety Enforcement and Operations Hauwa Tahir said the agency aimed to assess farmers’ experiences and crop performance.
