A new Head of Office for the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), an agency under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Dr. Jeremy Tinga Ouedraogo has been appointed.

Ouedraogo takes over from Prof. Diran Makinde, the immediate past Director of ABNE since 2009, who will now serve as Senior Advisor to NEPAD’s CEO in Midrand, South Africa.

A statement signed and issued by Jean Keberé, Communications Officer for NEPAD Agency ABNE said that instead of Ouagadougou, the new Head of Regional Office would be based in Dakar, where a new hub has been opened early this year – making ABNE nodes now to include the Dakar hub, the Kampala node and the Ouagadougou hub.

‎Until his recent appointment, Ouedraogo, a scientist in genetics and plant breeding, was Head of the Plant Genetics and Biotechnology laboratory in the national research system of Burkina Faso.

He holds a PhD degree from the University Laval, Canada and his research focused on the use of biotechnology tools in plant breeding. ‎He has contributed in the development of many cowpea varieties released in Burkina Faso and other West African countries. ‎

Involved in new biotech crops projects for Africa, Ouedraogo has been nominated as member of the External Advisory Boardof Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS), which is hosted by Africa Harvest Foundation and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).