NBRDA, NBMA Strengthen Collaboration to Advance Safe and Responsible Biotechnology in Nigeria
The Director General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, has reiterated the Agency’s commitment to credible research, transparency, and effective regulatory collaboration to ensure that all biotechnology applications in Nigeria remain safe and beneficial to society.
Prof. Mustapha stated this while receiving the Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Bello Bala Bwari, and his management team on a courtesy visit to the NBRDA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Welcoming the NBMA delegation, Prof. Mustapha congratulated Bello Bala Bwari on his appointment as Director General of NBMA and commended his leadership and commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s biosafety framework.
“At NBRDA, we are committed to advancing innovation through credible research while ensuring strict adherence to biosafety regulations. While NBRDA drives scientific advancement, NBMA ensures that every application of biotechnology in Nigeria complies with established biosafety standards,” Prof. Mustapha said.
He emphasised that the synergy between both agencies is aimed at strengthening biotechnology oversight, not compromising it, and reaffirmed that public safety remains paramount in all research activities.
In his remarks, the Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency, Bello Bala Bwari, commended the NBRDA for its pivotal role in advancing biotechnology research in Nigeria. He reaffirmed NBMA’s commitment to ensuring that all biotechnology applications in the country adhere to the highest safety standards.
Bwari noted that biotechnology holds immense potential for national development but stressed that such progress must be guided by strict compliance with established biosafety regulations to safeguard human health and the environment.
“We will continue to provide regulatory oversight that upholds scientific integrity while supporting innovation that benefits the Nigerian people,” he said.
The meeting concluded with both agencies pledging closer cooperation to promote safe and sustainable biotechnology in Nigeria, driven by accountability, scientific excellence, and the shared goal of improving lives through innovation.
