By Muhammad Amaan
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) is working to ensure a robust biotechnology reference by 2026, according to the Director-General, Bello Bawa Bwari.
Bwari, made this known at the Opening ceremony of the Regulatory Study Tour by the Senegal National Biosafety Authority on Tuesday in Abuja.
“We are planning hopefully by the end of 2026 to have the most robust biotechnology reference in the laboratory, which we intend to match with what we find in Europe.
“Here at the National Biosafety Management Agency our kind of focus for 2026 is going to be, enhancing our national bio-intelligence system so nothing goes unnoticed, nothing goes unchecked.
“We are also moving and pushing forward towards having a national biosafety, biosecurity monitoring, evaluation and surveying system. We are hoping that by January 2026 we will be able to launch this initiative,” he said.
Bwari stated that NBMA is not going to be dependent on the certification of Europe and expressed optimism that by the time the laboratory is established Europe will also depend on NBMA for certification.
“This is an audacious move to prove that Africa has a lot of edge, and we can also do this, it is coming at the time where Nigeria is taking a quantum leap in sciences.
“The very essence of this agencies both in Nigeria and Senegal is to ensure that rough scientists do not have their way through. This is not only a study tour, it’s also a diplomatic interaction for the country,” he said.
The Executive-Director of Senegal National Biosafety Authority, Mr Aliyu Ndiaye, said that the rapid evolution of modern biotechnologies and their applications (genetic transformation, genome editing, gene drive, etc.) is now well established.
“Consequently, the African states must integrate this global reality, in order to take advantages of the ongoing transformation in the fields of agriculture, health, and the environment.
“To this end, continuous capacity building within our institutions is essential in order to derive maximum benefit from these modern biotechnologies and their applications.
“That is why we are here, to exchange ideas and learn from your strong experiences in the field of biosafety.
“We are sure that, at the end of this mission, the staff of Senegal’s National Biosafety Authority will see their institutional and technical capacities strengthened in terms of good biosafety practices developed by your agency,” Ndiaye said.
On his part, Mrs Scholastical Bello acting Director Research and Planning NBMA said that NBMA, was established to ensure that the development, handling, transfer and use of GMOs are safe to human, environment and our biodiversity.
“In line with these mandates, NBMA continues to strengthen each system through evidence-based regulation, stakeholders’ engagement, continuous learning values firmly aligned with today’s collaborative decisions.
She stated that the presence of the Senegal biosafety agency reflects a shared commitment to advancing safe innovation in biotechnology, promoting regional regulatory coherence, uniting the capacity to guide Nigeria’s population through sound biosafety governance.
“This is all that is needed to build a long-standing relationship and friendship between Nigeria and Senegal, to promote stronger regulatory capabilities, and open new avenues for bilateral and multilateral collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) framework and beyond it.
