Abuja, September 16, 2026

IBBIS Deputy Director O’Neil Hamilton attended the 9th annual Nigerian Biological Safety Association (NiBSA) Conference in Abuja on September 15-18. The conference brought together Nigeria’s biosafety and biosecurity community, including representatives of the federal government, the security sector and academia. Discussions focused on the evolving biosafety and biosecurity landscape in Nigeria and an assessment of current policy and capacity.

Speakers recognized that biological risk can no longer be viewed solely through the lens of laboratory safety or infectious disease management. Participants therefore explored the broader implications of biotechnology for public health, agriculture, veterinary medicine, industry, the environment and national security.

A recurring theme was the need to move from a narrow, laboratory-centered understanding of biosafety toward comprehensive biological risk management. This would require stronger institutional capacity, greater biosecurity awareness, improved risk assessment and closer cooperation among government agencies, researchers, laboratories, industry and the wider scientific community.

There was also recognition that Nigeria’s growing biotechnology and life-science capabilities were creating opportunities for economic and scientific development. However, this progress came with a shared responsibility to safeguard how these technologies are developed and deployed.

In his address, Mr. Hamilton described DNA synthesis screening as a critical biosecurity safeguard. He said IBBIS’s Common Mechanism could help Nigeria and other African countries build practical capacity to mitigate emerging biological risks, and that Nigeria stood to benefit from access to a free, open and globally available screening approach, while contributing its own expertise and perspectives to international efforts.

For NiBSA, access to and leveraging of the Common Mechanism creates potential opportunities to connect its professional network with emerging international standards, promote awareness of DNA synthesis screening among Nigerian researchers and institutions, and explore how screening could complement existing biosafety and biosecurity practices.

He further observed that this engagement underscores the value of mapping Nigeria’s and Africa’s synthetic DNA ecosystem. This mapping helps ensure policymakers and practitioners can see where capacity exists and where they may need to strengthen safeguards.

The 9th Annual Conference reflected a strong interest in making biosafety and biosecurity a more integrated part of Nigeria’s scientific, health, industrial and national-security agenda and affirmed a clear commitment to translating awareness into practical measures. These measures include strengthening professional capacity, improving coordination among relevant institutions, and increasing engagement with regulators and industry.

Participants highlighted the need to build national biosafety and biosecurity capacity by:

• incorporating emerging technologies into risk assessments
• increasing awareness of tools such as the Common Mechanism and of international standards

Several speakers also called for a more comprehensive approach to biological risk management in Nigeria, and for greater contribution to broader African efforts to strengthen responsible access to biotechnology.