...Call for stronger health systems, preventive mechanisms, and innovative biosafety framework to tackle future threats
Health and security experts have urged the Federal Government to strengthen Nigeria’s biosafety and health systems to effectively prevent and respond to future pandemics and biological threats.
The call was made during the 8th National Biosafety and Biosecurity (NIBSA) Conference, held on September 25, 2025, at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, with the theme: “Advancing Global Health Security: Innovations in Biosafety and Biosecurity.”
The high-profile conference brought together scientists, researchers, policymakers, and security officials from across the country to deliberate on ways to fortify national health security and promote a culture of prevention against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Jesse Uneke, Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, emphasized that Nigeria must build stronger systems capable of detecting and containing health emergencies before they escalate.
“Global health security is a shared responsibility. To prevent another pandemic, we must focus on early detection, rapid response, and multi-sectoral collaboration,” Prof. Uneke stated.
He identified infectious disease outbreaks, drug-resistant pathogens, and the impact of globalization as major threats to global health, urging government to leverage innovations such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and rapid diagnostic technologies to enhance biosafety and biosecurity practices.
In his presentation titled “The Future of Bio-Integrated Security: Protecting People, Pathogens and Data,” Air Commodore Raymond C. Nwankwo, Director of Intelligence at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), underscored the intersection of biology, technology, and national security. He advocated for comprehensive risk assessment, biological safety infrastructure, and effective inventory management to prevent biohazards.
The President of NIBSA, Dr. Stella Ngozi Udo, said the conference provided an opportunity for experts to share ideas and develop practical solutions for advancing health security across Africa. She urged participants to sustain the momentum in driving biosafety reforms and ensuring that Nigeria remains proactive rather than reactive to future health challenges.
Various experts presented papers on subthemes, 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, said the theme was carefully chosen in recognition of the urgent need to confront the challenges posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that continue to threaten global peace and development.
The conference featured goodwill messages from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, both of whom commended NIBSA for its role in promoting biosafety awareness and pledged government support for the development of a robust health security framework.
At the end of the event, participants resolved that strengthening national health systems, enhancing disease surveillance, and implementing effective biosafety policies remain critical to preventing future pandemics and ensuring global health security.
