President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr. Fatima Suleiman Zuntu as the new Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), effective April 16, 2026.
The announcement was made on April 20 in a press statement signed by Chris Ugwuegbulam, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Zuntu now takes leadership of the agency responsible for regulating modern biotechnology and ensuring the safe handling, transfer, and use of genetically modified organisms in Nigeria.
Here are some things to know about Fatima Zuntu.
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1. She is a trained medical doctor
Dr. Zuntu earned a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Maiduguri in 2016.
2. She holds a Master’s degree in public health
She furthered her education with a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of South Wales between 2018 and 2020.
3. She has clinical healthcare experience
She worked as a house officer at National Hospital, Abuja, in 2018 and later served as a resident doctor at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, a major tertiary health facility and teaching hospital for Kaduna State University.
4. She has corporate healthcare management experience
Dr. Zuntu previously worked as a medical officer at the Central Bank of Nigeria between May 2018 and March 2019 and also served in a leadership role at NNPC HMO between October 2019 and December 2020.
5. She is recognised as a public health professional
The presidency described her as a public health professional and policy strategist with a proven track record of driving impactful national programmes.
6. She founded a nonprofit initiative
She is reported to be the founder of the Suleiman Zuntu Foundation, established in 2020, showing interest in humanitarian and development work.