EXCLUSIVE: Controversy Trails Qualification of New NBMA Boss Appointed by Tinubu

There are indications that the new Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may not be adequately qualified for the office in line with the provisions of the relevant laws.

Bello Bawa Bwari, a legal practitioner and former gubernatorial aspirant in Niger state, was on September 30, 2025, appointed to lead the agency in a statement that emanated from the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

Bwari is the son of the late Bawa Bwari, first President of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners and a brother to former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bawa Bwari.

“President Tinubu has appointed Bello Bawa Bwari (Niger State) as the new Director-General National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) for an initial term of four (4) years, effective from September 18, 2025 in accordance with the provision of Section 5 of the National Biosafety Management Agency, 2015,” a statement signed the Director of Information and Public Relations in the OSGF read in part.

A check by ECONOMIC CONFIDENTIAL on the NBMA Establishment Act and the profile of Bawa available online however shows that the Director-General may not have the requisite qualifications for the office.

According to the relevant provisions of NBMA Act of 2015 (as amended in 2019), a person qualified for appointment as Director-General of the Agency must possess “at least 15 years of cognate experience in the management of biosafety, biodiversity, or related fields,” and must hold “a minimum of a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences or related disciplines.”

A profile of the NBMA boss seen online however shows that he has a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School and a certificate in Management from the University of Liverpool in the UK. He also has experience in Oil and Gas and Construction industries.

According to Economic Confidential’s findings, Dr. Agnes Efunyemisi Asagbra who was removed and replaced with Barrister Bawa has over three decades of experience, Dr. Asagbra holds a B.Sc. in Biology (University of Lagos), M.Sc. in Food and Industrial Microbiology (University of Benin), and a Ph.D. in Food and Industrial Microbiology (University of Ibadan). She previously served as Acting Director-General at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), before her appointment to NBMA.