The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is repositioning its regulatory framework to enhance oversight of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), with plans underway to establish a dedicated reference laboratory to support independent testing and surveillance.
The Chief Executive of the Authority, Mr. Kwame Dei Asamoah Okyere, said the move would significantly strengthen Ghana’s biosafety regime by reducing reliance on third-party laboratories and improving the speed and credibility of regulatory decisions.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after a stakeholder validation meeting on Ghana’s Fifth National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Mr. Asamoah Okyere explained that the proposed laboratory formed part of a long-term strategy to deepen institutional capacity and ensure sustainability in biosafety regulation.
Ghana is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which governs the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms to protect human health and the environment.
According to the NBA Chief Executive, the Authority has formally communicated the need for a regulator-owned laboratory to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, while also engaging development partners to support the initiative.
He noted that although the NBA currently depends on accredited external laboratories for GMO testing, having an in-house reference laboratory would enhance regulatory independence and enable routine monitoring of GMO products entering the country.
In the interim, Mr. Asamoah Okyere said the Authority was strengthening collaboration with existing national laboratories, including the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, which has expressed readiness to support GMO testing.
He raised concerns about the increasing movement of GMO products across the West African sub-region, pointing out that porous borders made it possible for unapproved products to enter Ghanaian markets. Cowpea imports from neighbouring countries, he noted, illustrated the need for stronger detection and surveillance systems.
“Our responsibility is to identify such products, subject them to scientific assessment, and determine whether they should go through the regulatory process or be withdrawn from the market,” he said.
To boost enforcement, Mr. Asamoah Okyere disclosed that NBA staff would join field surveillance teams to intensify monitoring activities nationwide. He added that a functional reference laboratory would enable faster responses to biosafety concerns, improve routine testing, and ultimately strengthen public confidence in Ghana’s GMO regulatory outcomes.
