The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has launched the 2027 Biosafety and Biotechnology Expo (BBExpo) at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana Legon.
With the theme ‘Biosafety Regulation as a Catalyst for Biotechnology Investment in Ghana,’ the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NBA, Mr Kwame Dei Okyere explained that the BBExpo is intended to increase awareness, strengthen coordination and build confidence in Ghana’s biosafety and biotechnology sector.
He noted that although the NBA has been carrying out regulatory activities such as laboratory certifications, risk assessments and monitoring of field trials, awareness of biosafety regulations remains low among the public, researchers, academic institutions, manufacturers and other stakeholders.
According to him, this lack of awareness can lead to non-compliance, increased costs, reduced public trust and lost investment opportunities.
“Modern biotechnology touch our lives everyday but we have very little knowledge of it. It is a platform that we are bringing up so that those in the public sector, private sector, fooding, pharmaceutical and other industrial applications will to know about the NBA and how we are an important body,” he said on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Mr. Okyere stressed that biotechnology is expanding beyond agriculture into healthcare, industry and environmental solutions, particularly as Ghana works towards developing vaccine manufacturing capacity.
He described BBExpo as the NBA’s response to the need for greater public understanding and a more coordinated biotechnology.
He clarified that the launch is an outdooring of the BBExpo concept, rather than the main Expo. The maiden two-day national Expo will take place in Accra in October 2027. The first day will focus on professionals, regulators and industry, while the second day will be open to the public, including students, farmers and other citizens.
The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Zanator Agyeman – Rawlings, who was the main speaker at the launch, emphasized that Ghana must go beyond scientific research and turn biotechnology into technologies, businesses, jobs and practical solution for the country.
“Science creates possibility. Enterprise turns possibility into products. Investment provides the capital to take those products to scale. But effective regulation creates the confidence within which all three can operate,” she stated.
She highlighted Ghana’s ambition to become a vaccine development and manufacturing hub in Africa, stressing that achieving the target of producing Ghana’s first locally manufactured vaccine in 2027 will require not only factories and equipment but also strong scientific institutions and a reliable regulatory system.
The Minister also pointed to Ghana’s existing biosafety framework, including the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) and the 2019 Biosafety Regulations, noting that Ghana has already approved genetically modified crops such as Bt cowpea.
However, she said the regulatory system must continue evolving to keep pace with emerging technologies such as gene editing, synthetic biology and engineered biologics.
She identified five key priorities ahead of the maiden BBExpo in October 2027: Updating the regulatory framework to keep pace with scientific advancement, Improving coordination among government institutions, Investing in regulatory expertise, infrastructure and capacity, Building public confidence through transparency, evidence and communication, and finally creating a visible pipeline of biotechnology investment opportunities.
The Minister called on researchers , universities, young scientists, industry, investors, media and public to help build Ghana’s biotechnology ecosystem. She said Ghana must connect science, regulations, investment and technology to turn biotechnology potential into measurable nation benefits.
“Let us therefore work together to build a Ghana where researchers can innovate with confidence, enterprises can invest with clarity, regulators can act with credibility, and the public can participate with trust,” she said.
She described biosafety regulation as infrastructure that can make biotechnology responsible, investable, scalable and sustainable, and officially declared the BBExpo and the programme leading to its maiden edition in October 2027 launched.
Source: Abigail Ekua Arhin
