NAFDAC unveils seven-year reforms, strengthens continental push against fake drugs
Nigeria’s drug and food regulator has laid out an ambitious reform trajectory, positioning itself at the centre of a broader continental effort to tackle substandard and falsified medical products. At
Nigeria’s drug and food regulator has laid out an ambitious reform trajectory, positioning itself at the centre of a broader continental effort to tackle substandard and falsified medical products. At a high-level event in Abuja, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, presented the agency’s seven-year scorecard, detailing progress in regulatory enforcement, industry compliance, and public health protection since she assumed office in November 2017.
The event, with the theme: “Safeguarding the Nation’s Health, Empowering Progress,” also marked a significant milestone: Nigeria’s formal alignment with the African Medicines Agency, a move aimed at strengthening regulatory systems across the continent and curbing the circulation of fake and substandard medicines. Describing the development as a defining moment, Adeyeye said the partnership with AMA represents the “crown” of NAFDAC’s reform efforts. “The overall highlight of this event is joining forces with AMA to further strengthen the system and curb the movement of substandard and falsified food and drugs within the African sub-region,” she said.
The treaty signals a shift from isolated national regulation to a coordinated continental framework—one that allows countries to collaborate on manufacturing, quality assurance, and regulatory oversight. Under the arrangement, countries without production capacity can leverage facilities in other African nations, while standards are harmonised to meet global benchmarks. “We are working together as a continent to ensure not just Nigerian standards, but international standards,” Adeyeye added.
READ ALSO: Nigerian workers back Tinubu’s second term bid
The Director-General of AMA, Dr. Mimi Darko, welcomed Nigeria’s participation, describing it as a major boost to the agency’s mandate. “With Nigeria joining forces with AMA, we believe we will witness stronger systems and achieve our goals. Nigeria is a strong ally on the continent,” she said.
Beyond continental collaboration, Adeyeye used the occasion to highlight measurable changes within Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and food sectors. According to her, regulatory interventions have begun to shift compliance patterns among manufacturers. “We categorise companies into low, medium, and high risk. What we are seeing is movement—high-risk firms becoming medium risk, and medium risk becoming low risk. That translates directly into better health outcomes for Nigerians,” she explained.
However, she stressed that regulatory reform alone is insufficient without public cooperation—particularly in how medicines are purchased and consumed. In a direct appeal to Nigerians, Adeyeye warned against the dangers of patronising unregistered drug vendors, especially in open markets. “Buy your medicines from pharmacies. Get receipts. If manufacturers take their products to the open market, we will go after them,” she said.
She urged consumers to demand proof of registration and to report ineffective or suspicious medicines to the agency. “When a drug does not work as expected, bring it to NAFDAC. We will investigate,” she added.
Her remarks underscore a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s healthcare system: the widespread availability of unregulated medicines, often sold outside formal pharmaceutical channels. These products, experts warn, not only fail to treat illnesses effectively but can also contribute to drug resistance and long-term health complications. The event also aligned with the Federal Government’s broader healthcare reform agenda under the Renewed Hope framework, which prioritises pharmaceutical sovereignty, local manufacturing, and improved regulatory capacity.
For NAFDAC, the past seven years have been defined by efforts to reposition the agency from a reactive watchdog to a proactive regulator—one that combines enforcement with industry engagement and public awareness. Yet, challenges remain. The scale of Nigeria’s informal drug market, coupled with cross-border trafficking of counterfeit products, continues to test the limits of national regulation. This is where the AMA treaty is expected to play a critical role—by enabling intelligence sharing, coordinated enforcement, and unified standards across African countries.
