The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says Nigeria has moved from a struggling regulatory system to a globally respected authority in medicines, food safety, and chemical control, following sweeping reforms carried out over the past eight years.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during a media parley on the modernisation and foundation-laying of the Agency’s regulatory systems from 2018 to date, with reflections on achievements recorded in 2025.
Professor Adeyeye said the reform journey, which began in January 2018, was deliberate, difficult, and transformative, driven by the resolve to safeguard public health through international standards, best practices, and strong legal frameworks.
According to her, NAFDAC’s modernisation rests on five strategic pillars: strong leadership and governance, institutionalisation of best practices, safety and quality of regulated products, continuous supply-chain monitoring, and efficient financial and performance management.
She explained that the establishment of an agency-wide Quality Management System aligned with ISO 9001 standards laid the foundation for reforms, leading to NAFDAC’s ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2019, which has been sustained till date.
A major breakthrough, the DG noted, was Nigeria’s successful engagement with the World Health Organization’s Global Benchmarking Tool.
This culminated in NAFDAC attaining Maturity Level Three in medicines regulation in 2022 and becoming the first regulatory authority in Africa to be successfully re-benchmarked at the same level in 2025.
She described the feat as historic, noting that Nigeria is now globally recognised as having a “stable, well-functioning, and integrated” regulatory system.
The Agency also recorded expanded global recognition with the formal benchmarking of medical devices regulation in 2024 and Nigeria’s admission into the International Council for Harmonisation in November 2025, making NAFDAC the 24th member worldwide out of only 25 regulatory authorities.
On local manufacturing, Professor Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s 5+5 regulatory directive and the expanded Ceiling List policy have significantly reduced import dependence, with over 70 per cent of selected medicines now manufactured locally.
She revealed that the import-to-local manufacturing ratio improved from 70:30 in 2019 to 60:40 in 2025, while contract manufacturing partnerships rose from 10 to 87 within the same period.
The reforms, she added, have attracted increased foreign direct investment and technology transfer into Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors.
The DG also highlighted major gains in pharmacovigilance, including the deployment of digital safety reporting platforms such as the Med Safety App and NAFDAC e-reporting systems, alongside strengthened monitoring of medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics.
In food safety regulation, Professor Adeyeye said decentralisation of food registration since 2018 has boosted small and medium-scale producers, while digital platforms like NAPAMS, LIMS, and e-permits have reduced bottlenecks and improved turnaround time.
She noted that NAFDAC’s enforcement of trans-fat regulations, alcohol control measures, and the phased elimination of sachet alcohol underscore the Agency’s commitment to reducing preventable diseases and protecting vulnerable populations.
On enforcement, the NAFDAC boss revealed that intelligence-led operations dismantled major illicit drug markets, including the February 2026 Open Drug Market operation that led to the arrest of 40 suspects and the destruction of over one trillion naira worth of substandard and falsified medicines.
She said digital transformation remains central to NAFDAC’s success, citing platforms such as NAPAMS, the National Traceability Information System, the Integrated Regulatory Information Management System, and seamless integration with the Nigeria Customs Service through the National Single Window.
Looking ahead, Professor Adeyeye said NAFDAC is targeting WHO Maturity Level Four, full digitalisation powered by artificial intelligence, deeper regulatory reliance, and stronger local manufacturing through smart regulation.
She stressed that sustained investment in laboratories, staff welfare, discipline, and capacity building remains critical to consolidating gains and protecting public health.
Professor Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to science-driven regulation, saying modernization is no longer aspirational but already delivering measurable results for Nigerians.
