Njemanze Urges Public Servants to Prioritise Health, Calls for Caution on GMOs

The Deputy Clerk (Administration) of the Senate, Dr Vivien Njemanze, has urged public servants to protect their health, saying the pressure of government work requires regular checks, exercise and better food choices.

Njemanze spoke in Abuja on Friday after she was invested as Nigeria Country Director of the Center for African American Research Studies (CAARS). At the event, she said workers in public institutions, including National Assembly staff, should treat preventive healthcare as a daily responsibility rather than an occasional step.

She said routine medical examinations, physical activity and stronger community participation are practical ways to reduce avoidable illness among workers who often face long hours and demanding schedules. According to her, many people in public service focus on duty but postpone health decisions until problems become serious.

“We should take our health very seriously. Routine checks, exercise and community involvement are critical,” she said.

Njemanze also linked food policy to long-term wellbeing, warning that what Nigerians consume has direct implications for lifespan and quality of life. She said conversations around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be handled with caution, adding that innovation in food production should move with strong safeguards for public health.

“Science is still doing its part, and I hope we harness the best of it and mitigate the dangers associated with it,” she said.

She called for strict scientific assessment and effective regulatory supervision to guide biotechnology decisions in Nigeria. In her view, GMO debates should not stand apart from wider issues such as nutrition standards, food safety and healthy ageing. She added that as people grow older, they need to adjust their diet and level of physical activity to remain healthy.

CAARS Founding Director, Prof Nnamdi Nwandu, said the institute was set up 16 years ago by five professors and now has operations in 16 countries with 279 fellows. He said the organisation had operated in Nigeria without a country director until Njemanze’s appointment, and that her investiture confirmed both her fellowship and leadership role for CAARS activities in the country.