Molecular characterization of GM crops is a full description of the structural information of the transgene and stability of the trait (Li et al., 2017). It is the foundation of all GM product safety assessments before commercialization and also serves as a baseline for the development of detection and identification tools to satisfy traceability and labeling requirements (European Parliament, 2003). Stakeholders of both GM food and feed, must provide information on the genomic locus/loci modified, copy number of the inserted transgene, insertion site, and flanking regions (Guttikonda et al., 2016).
But are the national gatekeeping agencies for GMOs and modern biotechnology in Nigeria adhering to these; do they even have the capacity to ensure this is complied with?
Or, is Nigeria putting the cart before the horse?