By Eze Victor, Abakaliki
In the wake of rising global health threats, experts and key stakeholders in the fields of biosafety, biosecurity, health, and security have urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to strengthen Nigeria’s biosafety architecture and health systems to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to biological emergencies.
This call was made at the 8th National Biosafety and Biosecurity (NIBSA) Conference, held recently at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, where scientists, policymakers, and security professionals converged to explore innovative solutions to global health challenges.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Advancing Global Health Security: Innovations in Biosafety and Biosecurity,” Prof. Jesse Uneke, Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu in Ebonyi State, emphasized that global health security must be driven by prevention, early detection, and coordinated response mechanisms.
He warned that the world remains vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases, drug-resistant pathogens, and other bio-risks, adding that Nigeria must invest in technology-driven health surveillance systems and adopt multi-sectoral collaboration to strengthen preparedness.
“Global health security is a shared responsibility. We must build capacity, invest in early warning systems, and leverage innovations such as artificial intelligence and rapid diagnostic tools to safeguard lives,” Prof. Uneke said.
In a presentation titled “The Future of Bio-Integrated Security: Protecting People, Pathogens and Data,” Air Commodore Raymond Nwankwo, Director of Intelligence at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), underscored the convergence of biology, technology, and national security. He advocated for comprehensive risk assessment, tight laboratory safety controls, and robust data management to curb biological threats.
NIBSA President, Dr. Stella Ngozi Udo, charged participants to demonstrate renewed commitment toward promoting biosafety and biosecurity practices that enhance public health outcomes, stressing that “every lesson from the COVID-19 era must translate into concrete policy and system reforms.”
The conference featured several technical sessions, including “Improving Preventive Medicine: Strategies for Hazard Reduction through Effective Waste Management” by Dr. Chukwu Otuh Okoh Chukwu, and “Strengthening Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Systems in Africa” by Ms. Pamela Inkoba West.
Also, Prof. Maxwell Nwachukwu Opara spoke on “Advancing Biosafety Practices in Research Development: Containment, Risk Assessment and Personnel Training,” while SP Mohammed Sani Maishanu, Sector Commander of the IGP Special Taskforce on PIB, delivered a lecture on “The One Health Approach to Biosafety and Biosecurity: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health.”
Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Agha Ukpai Agha, explained that this year’s theme was chosen to address the growing threats of emerging and re-emerging diseases that continue to challenge health systems globally.
The event featured goodwill messages from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who both pledged government’s support toward improving Nigeria’s biosecurity framework.
At the end of the conference, participants called for stronger leadership commitment, robust disease surveillance, and effective policy implementation to position Nigeria as a model in biosafety and global health security.