Tinubu names Fatima Zuntu NBMA DG amid fresh scrutiny over agency leadership

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Fatima Zuntu as the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).

According to a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the appointment took effect from April 16, 2026. Zuntu is to serve an initial four-year term in line with the provisions of the NBMA Act, 2015.

The statement described her as a public health professional and policy strategist with experience in national programme implementation. President Tinubu also urged her to bring her expertise to bear in advancing the agency’s mandate on biosafety regulation.

However, her appointment comes at a time the agency has been under scrutiny over leadership qualification standards. Questions had previously been raised about the eligibility of former DG, Bello Bwari, following concerns from civil society groups over compliance with statutory requirements.

A non-governmental organisation had earlier filed a Freedom of Information request seeking clarification on Bwari’s academic qualifications, insisting that the law requires the head of NBMA to possess at least a master’s degree in biological sciences or a related discipline.

The group had also criticised what it described as a lack of transparency in the appointment process, warning that such concerns could affect public confidence in biosafety governance in the country.