The Chairperson of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) Governing Board, Professor Yao Tettey, has formally sworn in two new members to the Board of the Authority- Mr. Kwame Dei Asamoah-Okyere, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Lawyer Vivian Opoku-Agyarkwa from the Attorney General’s Department. Mr. Asamoah-Okyere, who assumed office as CEO on September 24, 2024, succeeds Mr. Eric Amaning Okoree, the pioneering CEO who retired in March 2024. Lawyer Opoku-Agyarkwa replaces Mr. George Sarpong as the legal expert on the Board.
In his remarks before administering the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy, Prof. Tettey urged all Board members to collaborate with the new CEO in strengthening the Authority’s role as a leading regulatory body in Africa’s modern biotechnology sector. He further encouraged Lawyer Opoku-Agyarkwa to bring her legal expertise to bear in the Board’s deliberations and activities. “These two are not strangers to the NBA. They already have long-standing relationships with the Authority, and as seasoned professionals, I believe they will contribute significantly to our progress,” Prof. Tettey stated.
Mr. Asamoah-Okyere has a long history with the NBA, dating back to 2012 when he served on the first Technical Advisory Committee of the National Biosafety Committee and the first Governing Board. Meanwhile, Lawyer Opoku-Agyarkwa is recognized for her critical role in representing the NBA during the nine-year legal dispute with Food Sovereignty Ghana, which concluded in May 2024 with a favorable judgment for the Authority. Their appointment is expected to bring renewed dynamism and expertise to the NBA Board as it continues to uphold its regulatory mandate in the biotechnology sector.
