Nigeria faces a persistent food-security challenge characterised by rising food prices, climate variability, insecurity, crop pests, production constraints and disruptions across agricultural value chains. At the same time, genetically modified (GM) crops have become part of Nigeria’s agricultural biotechnology landscape. This project examined how strengthening the regulatory framework governing GM foods could affect national food security in Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative documentary research design and analysed the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015 as amended in 2019, the National Biosafety Regulations 2017, the National Biosafety Policy, regulatory materials from NBMA and NAFDAC, official information on approved GM crops, food-security reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and relevant scholarly literature. The analysis indicates that regulation can influence food security through five interconnected pathways: protection of human and environmental health; confidence in GM foods; prevention of unauthorised products; facilitation of safe innovation; and improved productivity and resilience where approved GM technologies address major agricultural constraints. Nigeria has established a substantial biosafety framework through NBMA, supported by food-registration and food-safety functions of NAFDAC and other agencies. However, important strengthening needs remain in post-release monitoring, laboratory capacity, traceability, public communication, inter-agency coordination, transparency of regulatory information, consumer information and enforcement along informal food and seed markets. The study concludes that stronger regulation should not mean unnecessary restriction of biotechnology. Rather, Nigeria needs predictable, science-based, transparent and enforceable regulation that protects consumers and biodiversity while allowing safe technologies to contribute to food availability, access, stability and utilisation.

Keywords: genetically modified foods, biosafety, regulation, food security, Nigeria, biotechnology.