Ms. Chinyere Nzeduru is a Biosafety and Biosecurity professional with influence at the global and local levels. She has over 20 years experience in Environmental Management and championed the development of formidable Biosafety and Biosecurity systems in Nigeria and the African region. Chinyere obtained a BSc degree in Biology and MSc (Environmental biology) from University of Lagos, Akoka Lagos, in 1985 and 1990 respectively. Ms. Nzeduru is one of the pioneer Fellows of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Biosafety, from sub-Saharan Africa.  She obtained the MSc (Environmental Management) under the Fellowship at Aberystwyth University Wales, UK in 2010, and her work led to the discovery of an African species of the Neptis butterfly named Neptis nzedurui, in recognition of her contribution. The work was published in the highly reputable science journal, PLOS One, (https://plos.org), in 2010.

Chinyere also obtained MSc (Plant Biotechnology) from Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy, in 2013. Chinyere is a technocrat who served for over 28 years in the Nigerian Federal Civil Service, during which period she exhibited exceptional competency in environmental management, specialising in biotechnology regulation. Ms. Nzeduru worked diligently towards the establishment of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), a regulatory parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Environment, in 2015.

Her diligence, hard work and commendable leadership qualities qualified her as one of the start-off team and the first director of NBMA. Ms. Nzeduru participated in many national and international discourse on biosafety issues, and her vocal participation at the UN Environment Conference at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 2018, and at the Specialised Technical Committee for negotiation of the ECOWAS Biosafety at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2019, earned her very high commendation. Chinyere’s astute quest for international experience in civil service took her to the United Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), where she served for 4 years on leave of absence and made an enduring impact in the implementation of UNMIK mandate.

She retired as a Director of Biosecurity from NBMA, in January 2021. Ms. Nzeduru is also a creative writer with three published titles in her name and many more in view.