President Akufo-Addo has appointed Mr. Kwame Dei Asamoah-Okyere, Director of Business Development and International Partnerships at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA).
His appointment follows the conclusion of Mr. Eric Amaning Okoree’s tenure, the NBA’s first CEO, whose leadership from 2016 to March 2024 laid the groundwork for biosafety regulation in Ghana.
Mr. Asamoah-Okyere brings over a decade of experience in regulatory oversight, having played a key role in enhancing the FDA’s operational efficiency and revenue generation through digital transformation initiatives and forging local and international partnerships.
These efforts have significantly bolstered Ghana’s regulatory framework for food and medical products.
His journey with the NBA began in 2012 when he served on the Technical Advisory Committee of the National Biosafety Committee, contributing to the review of Ghana’s first confined field trial applications.
Between 2015 and 2017, Mr. Asamoah-Okyere served on the NBA’s Governing Board, where he helped shape the Authority’s organizational structure and strategic direction.
Notably, in 2015, he led a national consultation with stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations and Anti-GMO groups, to form a national consensus on GMO labelling policies, which paved the way for Ghana’s first approval of genetically modified organisms for food and feed processing.
His academic credentials are equally impressive, holding multiple advanced degrees, including a Master’s in Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology from Marche Polytechnic University (Italy), an MSc in Food Biotechnology from the University of Strathclyde (Scotland), and a Master’s in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
In a statement released by the NBA on September 25, 2024, Mr. Asamoah-Okyere expressed his commitment to reinforcing Ghana’s biosafety regulations through a results-driven approach.
"My focus is to ensure that research, development, and the application of genetically modified organisms are conducted safely, with robust measures in place to prevent any unintended harm or contamination,” he said.
His appointment comes at a time when the NBA is expected to play a critical role in safeguarding the environment and public health in the face of advancing biotechnology.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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