Because the afternoon solar settled over town of Bichi in Kano State, Hauwa Saminu untied the sack of maize she had purchased previous that day at a neighbourhood marketplace.
The acquisition used to be regimen. She had tested the grains moderately earlier than opting for the cleanest ones and bargaining with the dealers. The maize would later be taken to a close-by milling store, then cooked at house into tuwo, a staple meal her 12-member family eats for dinner, in most cases paired with Miyan kuka (Baobab soup), and incessantly once more the next morning.
She had no concept whether or not what she purchased used to be the normal maize she had eaten for years or Nigeria’s new genetically changed maize.
“I at all times purchase maize. No person has ever instructed me if it is TELA maize or typical maize,” she stated, pausing in short as despite the fact that listening to the title for the primary time.
She added that she buys 10 mudu (a Kano measure similar to about 2.4 kg) each and every week at N900-N950 in line with mudu
Ms Saminu’s revel in displays that of many Nigerian customers.
Over 13 months, from June 2025 to July 2026, this reporter travelled throughout Kano, Kaduna and Niger states, tracing the foundation of the genetically changed TELA maize from analysis laboratories and demonstration farms to grain markets, flour processors, roasted maize distributors and family kitchens.
However what’s TELA maize fabricated from, and do Nigerians know what they eat as meals?
To respond to those questions, PREMIUM TIMES interviewed regulators, scientists, seed corporations, farmers, grain investors, processors, customers, vitamin mavens and biotechnology critics, and reviewed regulatory paperwork and clinical exams to track the crop’s adventure from laboratory construction to family intake.
What emerged used to be a tale that extends past science and agriculture to questions of transparency, client consciousness and Nigerians’ proper to knowledgeable selection.
From devastating pest to clinical answer
Maize is one in all Nigeria’s maximum essential staple plants, ate up day by day in numerous paperwork, together with tuwo, pap, roasted corn, boiled corn and farm animals feed. Hundreds of thousands of farmers rely on it for source of revenue. However for years, two main demanding situations have threatened maize manufacturing: extended drought related to local weather trade and the damaging fall armyworm (FAW).
First detected in Nigeria in 2016, FAW unfold all of a sudden, destroyed farms, and compelled farmers throughout states to spend closely on insecticides whilst nonetheless experiencing important losses.
In keeping with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety (FMAFS), the pest can break a whole maize box if left out of control, threatening meals manufacturing and farmers’ livelihoods. To ascertain a baseline, 2020 ministry data put annual native maize manufacturing at about 10.5 million metric tonnes, in opposition to a requirement of about 15 million tonnes. The ministry additionally warned that pests corresponding to FAW may motive losses of as much as 70 in line with cent of maize manufacturing.
Scientists believed biotechnology may assist cope with the issue, which ended in the advent of the TELA maize venture.
The TELA maize venture is a multi-country analysis initiative coordinated by means of the African Agricultural Generation Basis (AATF) in partnership with the Global Maize and Wheat Growth Centre (CIMMYT), Bayer Crop Science, and Nationwide Agricultural Analysis institutes throughout Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and South Africa.
The Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis (now the Gates Basis) and the US Company for Global Building (USAID) fund the venture and make stronger the improvement of drought-tolerant and insect-resistant maize for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
A 2019 Product Release Collaboration agreement between AATF, CIMMYT, and Monsanto Corporate—an agricultural industry later got by means of Bayer—offered a framework for commercialising the TELA maize era in taking part African international locations. Underneath the association, AATF bought a royalty-free licence to supervise deployment and commercialisation and sub-licence the era, matter to nationwide regulatory and stewardship necessities.
The TELA Maize Venture, constructed on greater than a decade of study below the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project, sought to broaden drought-tolerant maize for African farmers.
In keeping with AATF, the title TELA comes from the Latin phrase “tutela”, which means coverage, reflecting the crop’s talent to offer protection to itself in opposition to damaging insect pests whilst additionally tolerating sessions of drought.
TELA maize incorporates a Bt gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil bacterium, which produces proteins that focus on explicit pests corresponding to fall armyworm and stem borers.
Muhyideen Oyekunle, Characteristics Pipeline Trying out Lead on the Institute for Agricultural Analysis (IAR), who evaluated the characteristics, defined that the Bt proteins disrupt the digestive programs of centered pests after they feed at the plant, protective the crop from injury. Against this, the drought-tolerance trait lets in the crop to resist sessions of water pressure.
In Nigeria, the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) evolved and tailored the era at Ahmadu Bello College in Kaduna in collaboration with AATF.
However whilst scientists labored at the crop for years, questions remained about how a lot Nigerians understood in regards to the era and the number of meals they eat.
Nigeria’s highway to business cultivation
TELA maize handed thru years of study and review. The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Nigeria’s statutory regulator for genetically changed organisms (GMOs), stated it assessed the crop and located it safe for human intake and the surroundings.
Hauwa Ahmed, director of Biosafety Enforcement and Operations on the NBMA, defined that the crop underwent intensive scrutiny.
“The approval of TELA maize adopted a rigorous, multi-stage biosafety chance review in keeping with the NBMA Act and Nigeria’s duties below the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,” Mrs Ahmed instructed PREMIUM TIMES.
She added that researchers carried out years of Confined Box Trials (CFTs) in Nigeria to generate agro-ecological knowledge, assess environmental dangers and read about conceivable results on non-target organisms earlier than making use of for business launch.
She additionally famous that the regulatory procedure concerned public participation, because the company revealed notices in 3 nationwide newspapers and made the applying file to be had at designated places for 21 days for public feedback. The Nationwide Biosafety Committee and Nationwide Biosafety Technical Sub-Committee due to this fact reviewed the clinical file and made suggestions to the company.
In October 2021, NBMA granted IAR a allow to environmentally launch TELA maize following exams that incorporated molecular characterisation, toxicology, allergenicity, dietary equivalence, environmental dangers, and comparisons with typical maize. The review additionally regarded as socio-economic problems.
“The pre-approval chance review guarantees that every one possible dangers are recognized and control measures proffered earlier than acclaim for business launch,” Mrs Ahmed disclosed.
The review drew on proof and revel in from international locations, together with Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and South Africa, in addition to Eu Union member states.
Multi-location trials have been additionally carried out throughout Nigeria’s ecological zones earlier than the Nationwide Committee on Naming, Registration and Free up of Crop Types, Cattle Breeds/Fisheries regarded as them.
On 11 January 2024, the committee formally authorized the discharge of 4 sorts in Nigeria, together with SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T.
Mr Oyekunle defined to PREMIUM TIMES what the sorts imply. SAMMAZ is derived from “Samaru maize”, which refers back to the institute’s location in Samaru, Zaria. The numbers establish the person sorts, whilst the letter “T” distinguishes the TELA sorts from typical SAMMAZ sorts.
Even supposing the 4 sorts percentage the similar biotechnology characteristics, they fluctuate moderately in adaptation zones, plant traits, and yield possible. They have been really helpful for various agro-ecological zones, together with the Guinea savannah, Sudan savannah, and rainforest zones, and feature possible yields starting from about 9.4 to ten.4 tonnes in line with hectare below excellent agronomic practices.
The builders described the era as a very powerful software for making improvements to meals safety, decreasing pesticide use and serving to farmers adapt to local weather trade.
The government officially introduced TELA maize in 2024 to inspire national adoption.
In keeping with the NBMA, the FMAFS serves as the rural coverage and deployment interface for TELA maize in Nigeria, together with its adoption and farmer make stronger programmes, whilst the NBMA oversees biosafety approval.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Federal Division of Agriculture below the ministry to know its position within the TELA maize programme and the federal government’s place on its deployment and adoption.
An legit of the dep., who asked anonymity as a result of he used to be now not authorized to talk publicly, stated the ministry does now not independently approve GMOs; quite, it supplies an enabling setting for agricultural era.
He stated the ministry opinions findings from the IAR, which operates below its mandate, and different related analysis businesses to decide whether or not a era aligns with agricultural coverage.
In the meantime, the NBMA handles GMO regulatory approval and the Nationwide Agricultural Seeds Council certifies sorts for seed multiplication. He stated TELA maize’s resistance to FAW, stem borers and drought may assist spice up manufacturing and cut back Nigeria’s meals provide deficit.
On adoption, the legit stated uptake of TELA maize is expanding, as Agricultural Building Programmes (ADPs) sensitise farmers thru demonstration plots that let them to match TELA maize with typical sorts. Alternatively, he recognized seed availability and affordability as main demanding situations. He wired the desire for farmers to practice really helpful agronomic practices, together with right kind spacing and nutrient utility, to succeed in anticipated yields.
Data offered by means of AATF to PREMIUM TIMES point out that roughly 8,000 to ten,000 farmers accessed and planted TELA maize all through the 2024 cropping season. Alternatively, the determine didn’t come with farmers who could have stored seed for next planting.
Kaduna, Kano, and Niger recorded the biggest numbers, with about 1,800 farmers in Kaduna, 1,500 in Kano, and 1,200 in Niger. Benue ranked fourth with about 1,100, and Katsina 5th with 1,000 farmers. Different states around the federation, together with Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Nasarawa and the FCT, accounted for roughly 3,400 farmers mixed.
Muhammad Yahaya, a plant breeder and geneticist at IAR, stated growing TELA maize took greater than a decade.
“The advance of TELA maize took over a decade, roughly 10 to fifteen years.”
The method concerned gene discovery, laboratory paintings, confined box trials, multi-location trials and regulatory exams masking toxicity, allergenicity, dietary equivalence and environmental dangers.
The rigors and next deployment lined spaces together with Kaduna, Kano, Niger and Jigawa.
Mr Yahaya stated post-release tracking used to be additionally essential as a result of regulators and researchers persevered to evaluate box efficiency, environmental results, farmer reports and compliance with stewardship necessities.
“Business launch comes with stewardship duties,” he stated, describing biosafety as “an ongoing procedure quite than a one-time tournament.”
But whilst regulators declared the crop protected and farmers increasingly more embraced it, every other query remained unanswered: After leaving analysis stations and demonstration farms, who’re the top customers of TELA maize? Do Nigerians know they’re already consuming it?
Following the seed
Agric Seed Care Restricted is an authorized distributor of TELA seed thru AATF.
Mr Ochoche, whose corporate is primarily based in Hotoro, Kano, stated TELA seed used to be first of all imported into Nigeria, which not on time its availability to farmers all through the primary planting season in 2024. By the point the seed arrived, some farmers had already planted different plants. He stated the placement has since advanced because the seed is now being multiplied in the community.
Its leader government officer (CEO), Oyaje Ochoche, stated his corporate recalled that TELA maize seed used to be offered for up to N9,500 in line with kilogramme all through the primary two years of business distribution. He added that the cost has since dropped to between N4,500 and N7,000 in line with kilogramme.
For typical hybrid maize seed, the corporate’s present comparability is between N1,200 and N1,500 for a two-kilogramme pack in lots of places, Mr Ochoche stated
Any other approved manufacturer and distributor of TELA maize seed, Nagari Seed Corporate Restricted in Kaduna, additionally obtains basis seed for multiplication into qualified seed for farmers. The corporate’s advertising and marketing supervisor, Tachio Boman, instructed PREMIUM TIMES that the seed is produced in two levels: basis and authorized seed.
Mr Boman stated the root seed used to be first of all imported from South Africa when TELA maize used to be commercialised, whilst native manufacturing programs have been being established. Now, EcoBasic Seed Corporate collaborates with IAR to supply seeds in the community for qualified multiplication and provides them to approved Nigerian seed corporations, together with Nagari. The qualified seeds are disbursed to farmers thru AATF-provided channels.
AATF Hybrid Seed Marketplace Building Supervisor Olawale Ojo stated the organisation operates a licensing gadget that comes to certified Nigerian-owned seed corporations.
AATF, alongside EcoBasic Seed Company Limited, sub-licenses TELA maize hybrids to certified seed corporations that meet the standards, together with Agric Seed Care Restricted, Nagari Seed Corporate Restricted, Premier Seed Nigeria Restricted, Techni Seed, Chinmade Nigeria Restricted, Da-Allgreen Seeds Restricted, Lifted Agro Restricted, Growth Seed Restricted, GoldAgric Nigeria Restricted, Ingachi Seed Corporate Restricted, Mastrotun World Restricted and Beta Seed Corporate Restricted.
However after the seed entered Nigeria’s farming gadget, incorrect information started to set in.
“There have been many rumours. Some believed the maize used to be introduced to hurt Africans. Others claimed plants would by no means develop once more on land the place TELA maize have been planted,” Mr Ochoche recalled.
To counter the incorrect information, AATF and FMAFS, thru their agricultural construction programmes, and seed corporations established demonstration plots the place farmers may follow the crop and obtain coaching on cultivation and stewardship practices.
Mr Ojo stated demonstration plots and farmer coaching helped cope with one of the issues.
“Individuals are incessantly scared of what they don’t perceive. As soon as farmers see the crop themselves and ask questions, lots of the misconceptions disappear,” Ojo disclosed.
He added that the Nationwide Agricultural Seed Council certification tags, QR codes and SeedCodex authentication are printed on the qualified TELA maize seeds to scale back counterfeiting.
Salisu Buhari, an legit of the Kaita Agricultural Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Kano and an agro-dealer, mentioned that individuals first realized about TELA maize at a 2024 stakeholders’ assembly organised throughout the Kano ADPs in collaboration with FMAFS.
He defined that just a restricted choice of farmers first of all won the seed as a result of business amounts weren’t but to be had. Distribution expanded in 2025 thru demonstration plots in communities together with Bichi and Bagwai LGAs in Kano State.
Mr Buhari stated TELA maize had additionally begun showing in native grain markets, even though it nonetheless accounted for a small percentage of the maize offered.
“The largest problem now could be availability and affordability. Many farmers need the seed, however they don’t know the place to shop for it, and after they to find it, it’s dear,” Mr Buhari stated.
Farmers record higher yields, fewer pests
Abdullahi Muhammad, a farmer in Bichi Native Executive Space of Kano State, used to be a few of the early farmers to plant TELA maize.
He farms nearly one hectare and has labored as an extension officer for greater than two decades.
“I requested many questions as a result of they instructed us from the start that it used to be genetically changed,” he stated.
“After the reasons, I used to be happy.”
Mr Muhammad planted TELA maize in 2025 and once more in June 2026.
He won coaching on shelter planting, spacing, fertiliser utility and stewardship necessities.
He stated the crop confirmed resistance to FAW and stem borers and required little pesticide remedy.
“Typical maize suffers heavy pest assaults, however with TELA maize we hardly ever wanted insecticides for fall armyworm,” he mentioned.
Underneath excellent control, he estimated that TELA may produce between 80 and 100 luggage in line with hectare, when compared with about 40 to 60 luggage for typical maize.
His 2025 harvest fell wanting expectancies on account of deficient rainfall, which he attributed to the elements quite than the seed.
He later planted cowpea at the identical land and stated it grew. He refuted claims that TELA seeds injury soil.
Mr Muhammad stated he has educated different farmers, together with 363 in Bichi thru AATF programmes.
However he stated consciousness remained a significant barrier.
“Every time a brand new agricultural era is offered, individuals are naturally scared of it. Because of this extra training is wanted,” he stated.
His circle of relatives has ate up TELA maize since 2025, together with roasted and boiled maize and Tuwo, with out experiencing well being issues, opposite to claims attributed to the seeds.
Seed price stays a topic. TELA seed prices about N4,500 to N7,000 in line with kilogram, when compared with about N1,500 for a two-kilogram pack of typical seed.
Different farmers interviewed in Kano, Kaduna and Niger additionally reported higher harvests, fuller cobs, diminished pest injury and tolerance to dry spells, even though their reports various.
Value and availability have been not unusual issues.
Tajudeen Gambo, a farmer in Marke village, Makarfi Native Executive Space of Kaduna State, stated he recorded higher yields after planting TELA maize.
He had farmed for roughly 15 years. He planted the seed from the AATF programme on about 0.3 hectares in 2025 and likewise used fertiliser provided by means of the programme.
“I were given higher yield once I harvested my TELA maize,” he stated.
He sought after to plant TELA once more in 2026 however misplaced get admission to to the rented farm.
He additionally raised issues in regards to the seeds’ price and availability.
“Individuals are frightened in regards to the seeds’ advertising and marketing monopoly, that farmers should acquire seed yearly at an exorbitant value. As opposed to that, I don’t have any downside with TELA maize,” he stated.
In Niger State, Tamiru Danbaba planted TELA maize for the primary time.
He stated the crop survived a protracted dry spell in July whilst neighbouring farms suffered losses. He estimated that his harvest used to be about 25 to 30 in line with cent upper than what he would generally be expecting below equivalent stipulations.
“It’s a reduction to look a crop that doesn’t get ravaged.”
Mariya Lawal, a farmer in Bagwai LGA, Kano State, and Ismail Ibraheem in Zaria, Kaduna State, additionally reported advanced harvests.
Ms Lawal stated TELA produced fuller cobs, higher grains and extra flour.
Tamatu Idi, a small-scale farmer in Kano, stated her TELA maize survived a two-week dry spell.
However farmers, together with Ms Lawal and Mrs Idi, persevered to boost issues about the price of the seeds.
In keeping with the farmers’ issues, the legit from the Federal Division of Agriculture on the FMAFS stated the federal government used to be in search of to extend seed manufacturing, together with thru subsidy interventions.
The legit added that higher funding may make bigger provide and cut back value constraints.
After the 2025 harvest, alternatively, the crop used to be now not confined to farms.
It all started transferring thru grain markets, flour turbines and meals distributors, sooner or later achieving Nigerian families.
This investigation is revealed in two portions. The second one section will read about how TELA maize reaches customers and whether or not they obtain sufficient details about what they’re purchasing.
***
This reporting used to be supported by means of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Building (CJID) below the SAIL+ Programme Fellowship.
Uncover extra from Top class Occasions Nigeria
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched on your electronic mail.