The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has highlighted Nigeria’s regulatory reforms as an example of how African countries can build stronger and more reliable medicines regulatory systems.
Adeyeye made this known while speaking at the Global Health Perspectives series organised by the Takemi Program in International Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The DG disclosed that the agency has made some improvement since 2017, particularly from below the World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 1 to Level 3. She also identified attaining Level 4 and becoming a WHO-Listed Authority as the agency’s next targets.
The NAFDAC boss attributed the agency’s transformation to five major areas of reform, including improved governance, stronger scientific and quality capabilities, better monitoring of medical products, digitalisation of regulatory processes and partnerships with industry and development organisations.
She listed some of the agency’s achievements to include obtaining ISO 9001 certification, securing WHO prequalification for its laboratory, expanding laboratory capacity and strengthening enforcement activities.
Adeyeye also disclosed that about 90 per cent of NAFDAC’s regulatory processes have been digitised to improve efficiency and accountability.
She stressed the need for strong leadership, financial accountability, evidence-based decisions and international collaboration in tackling the circulation of substandard and falsified medical products.
The Director-General further emphasised the importance of supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturers while ensuring that the quality and safety of medicines are not compromised.
The lecture highlighted the role of sustained institutional reforms, investment in science and cooperation among regulatory agencies in improving access to safe and effective medical products across Africa.
