Deep Thought

 Banditry: How Viable is Katsina State's Systematic Peace Accord? By Prof M. K. Othman Following Mallam Dikko Radda's invitation, I participated in a high-level security and governance stakeholders’ consultation focused on improving Katsina State. The event brought together a diverse group, including elders, political and religious leaders, traditional rulers, retired military generals, academics, youth representatives, civil society members, and prominent sons and daughters of Katsina, both within and outside the state. It was a gathering of notable indigenes of Katsina State, united by a shared goal and commitment to tackling the security issues facing Katsina State, and indeed, the North West region. As a public affairs analyst, weekly newspaper columnist, and university teacher, I was excited about the opportunity to examine, provide my insights, and offer advice on the critical security challenges affecting the development of my state, Katsina, and Nigeria. I believe that ...

 Re: GMO, Seed System, and Food Security Question in Nigeria By Prof MK Othman My two-piece article on GMOs attracted several comments for and against this innovative technology, similar to the reactions I received when I wrote about the Igbo Presidency before the 2023 elections. I aimed to educate my readers to make informed decisions about GMO consumption while urging authorities to be extra vigilant about food-related issues. I shared my experience with security when entering the USA with a piece of dry meat (Kilishi), which I ate on the plane but couldn't finish. It took more than two hours of questioning before I was allowed through after confiscating less than ten grams of dried meat. Yet, Americans produce and consume GMO foods, which they could not dare to do if GMO were deemed harmful to people or the environment. Still, people have the right to decide what they put into their bodies, and the government should protect that right. I am sharing some of the reactions with my ...

 GMO, Seed System, and Food Security Question in Nigeria II By Prof MK Othman How safe are GMOs released in Nigeria? Since the commercial release of pod borer-resistant PBR Cowpea in 2019, no reported cases of health threats to humans, soils, or the environment have been observed in Nigeria so far. To quote Professor Shehu Ado Garki, a well-known Nigerian maize breeder and former Executive Director of IAR, Samaru, who is currently the chairman of the subcommittee on crops at the national varietal release, "There have been no recorded deaths from consuming genetically modified foods worldwide in the last two decades." Two other top agricultural scientists, cowpea breeder Prof. Mohammed Ishiyaku Faguji and a crop protection specialist, Prof. Rabiu Adamu, both informed me at different times that GMOs are as safe as conventional foods, with no indication of health hazards or environmental risks. Based on my knowledge of the trio, they cannot be involved in anything that would har...

 GMO, Seed System, and Food Security Question in Nigeria   By   Prof MK Othman I have received many requests for information on GMO seeds and their safety, and I have watched several video clips that criticize GMOs with serious accusations. I decided to update my previous articles on GMOs and food security. Over the past seven years, I have written multiple articles on this subject, and this will be the fifth in a series about GMOs, covering their origins, threats, biosafety, and the launch of Tela maize and Pod Bora cowpea, the first GMOs in Nigeria. The goal of this article is not to promote or discredit GMOs but to present facts about the Nigerian seed system, including GMOs, challenges, and the way forward. What is GMO?   A Genetically Modified Organism is a byproduct of biotechnology. In medicine, biotechnology has existed for many centuries as a source of innovation. Hitherto, biotechnology was a non-issue or, like any other technological breakthrough, until it...