Tinubu makes new appointment

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Fatima Zuntu as the director-general and chief executive officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).

The announcement was made in a statement issued on Monday by Chris Ugwuegbulam, head of information and public relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. According to the statement, Zuntu’s appointment took effect from April 16, 2026.

Ugwuegbulam stated that Zuntu will serve an initial four-year term, in line with Section 5 of the NBMA Act, 2015. He described her as a public health professional and policy strategist with extensive experience in implementing national programmes.

The president has also charged the new NBMA boss to leverage her expertise to strengthen the agency’s mandate.

Zuntu’s appointment comes amid heightened scrutiny over leadership qualifications within the biosafety agency. In December 2025, a non-governmental organisation submitted a Freedom of Information request seeking to verify the academic and professional credentials of Bello Bwari, the former director-general of the agency.

The group raised concerns that Bwari, a trained lawyer, may not have met the statutory requirements for the role. It cited provisions of the NBMA Act which stipulate that the agency’s head must possess at least a master’s degree in biological sciences or a related field.

The request, submitted to the Federal Ministry of Environment, called for the release of documents detailing Bwari’s qualifications and the process leading to his appointment. The organisation also criticised what it described as a lack of transparency, warning that such gaps could erode public trust in biosafety regulation and scientific governance.

It added that the outcome of the request could set an important precedent for accountability in regulatory agencies, particularly those overseeing public health, environmental protection, and biotechnology in Nigeria.