NAFDAC Approves 450 Young Pharmacists for Reserve Volunteers Programme

Programme, proposed during the 2024/2025 PSN-YPG administration, attracted 1,410 applications and will train selected pharmacists in pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and enforcement activities

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved 450 young pharmacists for engagement under its Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Programme, according to a communication from the NAFDAC-Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Team.

The programme will provide training for participating pharmacists in key regulatory areas, including pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and enforcement activities, through NAFDAC's Narcotics and Controlled Substances Directorate, in collaboration with the Young Pharmacists Group (YPG) and other relevant stakeholders.

The development follows a nationwide recruitment exercise that reportedly attracted 1,410 applications from young pharmacists, of whom 450 were shortlisted and have now been approved for participation.

The approved list reviewed by Pharmacy Times Nigeria contains 450 pharmacists drawn from across Nigeria, with entries categorised by gender, current area of practice and professional stage. The list includes corps members, intern pharmacists and post-NYSC pharmacists.

From proposal to implementation

The Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Programme originated from an engagement between NAFDAC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Young Pharmacists Group (PSN-YPG) in February 2025.

The initiative was proposed during the tenure of the 2024/2025 PSN-YPG administration, led by Pharm. Tekena George, following a courtesy visit to NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.

The proposal sought to create structured opportunities for young pharmacists to participate in selected NAFDAC activities while gaining practical exposure to medicines regulation.

The initiative subsequently progressed to a nationwide recruitment exercise.

In April 2025, the programme was publicly announced as an opportunity for young pharmacists to gain hands-on experience through participation in activities associated with NAFDAC's regulatory mandate. The recruitment period was announced to run from 28 April to 30 May 2025.

The programme's initial communication identified areas including enforcement operations, public sensitisation, pharmacovigilance activities, surveys, community outreaches and NYSC orientation programmes among the potential areas of volunteer participation.

1,410 applicants, 450 approved

The programme attracted 1,410 applications nationwide, according to the NAFDAC-Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Team.

Of these, 450 pharmacists were shortlisted and have now received approval for engagement, representing approximately 32 per cent of the reported applicant pool.

The size of the applicant pool highlights the level of interest among young pharmacists in opportunities that provide exposure to medicines regulation, public health and regulatory practice.

The approved volunteers represent different stages of early professional development.

The list includes pharmacists who are serving as corps members, completing internship training or who have already completed NYSC.

Training in key regulatory functions

The current programme communication identifies three principal areas for the training of participating young pharmacists:

Pharmacovigilance: monitoring and assessing medicine-related safety information and supporting activities aimed at identifying and responding to adverse effects and other medicine-safety concerns.

Post-market surveillance: activities undertaken after medical products reach the market to monitor their quality, safety and performance and identify products or practices requiring regulatory intervention.

Enforcement activities: supporting understanding of and participation in activities designed to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, under the direction and procedures of NAFDAC.

The focus places the programme directly within areas that are central to protecting the public from unsafe, substandard and falsified medical products.

It also provides young pharmacists with exposure to regulatory functions that may be less accessible through conventional early-career practice in hospitals, community pharmacies or other pharmacy settings.

A diverse pool of young pharmacists

The approved list demonstrates considerable diversity in the professional backgrounds of the selected pharmacists.

Beyond the career categories of corps members, interns and post-NYSC pharmacists, the list identifies participants across different practice environments.

These include hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, academia, public health, regulation and other professional settings.

The geographical spread also reflects the national scope of the programme, with approved volunteers listed across states and the Federal Capital Territory.

This diversity could provide the programme with a broad pool of professional perspectives as participants undergo training and take part in assigned activities.

An opportunity for regulatory pharmacy

For participating pharmacists, the programme could provide practical exposure to an important but specialised area of pharmacy practice.

Pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and regulatory enforcement require an understanding of medicines safety, regulatory standards, evidence assessment, documentation and public-health considerations.

Early exposure to these areas can help young pharmacists understand how the safety and quality of medicines are monitored beyond the point at which a product is dispensed to a patient.

For NAFDAC, the programme provides an opportunity to engage a large pool of young pharmacists in structured training and selected activities while exposing participants to the Agency's regulatory processes.

The programme therefore creates a potential bridge between early-career professional development and medicines regulation.

What happens next?

The approval of the 450 volunteers marks the beginning of the programme's implementation phase.

The NAFDAC-Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Team said further information would be provided on onboarding, training, assignments, communication and other aspects of the programme.

Approved pharmacists have been advised to confirm their names on the list and prepare for subsequent communication.

Those whose names appear on the approved list but who are no longer available to participate have also been asked to indicate their unavailability.

The next phase will be important in determining how the programme translates its large pool of selected pharmacists into meaningful regulatory and professional-development outcomes.

Clear training arrangements, defined responsibilities, appropriate supervision and effective communication will be particularly important as participants are introduced to activities involving medicines safety, surveillance and enforcement.

From 450 names to regulatory capacity

The significance of the programme ultimately extends beyond the number of pharmacists selected.

Nigeria's medicines regulatory system requires professionals with knowledge and practical understanding of areas such as pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance, quality assurance and enforcement.

By exposing 450 young pharmacists to these functions, the programme has the potential to strengthen interest in regulatory pharmacy and contribute to the development of a broader pool of pharmacists familiar with medicines regulation.

The reported response to the programme is also significant.

With 1,410 young pharmacists applying for 450 places, there is clear interest among early-career pharmacists in gaining experience outside traditional practice pathways and contributing to public-health and regulatory activities.

The immediate priority now is implementation: ensuring that the approved pharmacists receive meaningful training and that their participation is aligned with clearly defined NAFDAC objectives.

For the 450 selected pharmacists, the programme represents an opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to some of the systems that underpin the safety, quality and appropriate use of medicines in Nigeria.

For NAFDAC and its stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to develop that interest into a more informed and capable pool of young pharmacists with exposure to regulatory practice.

As onboarding and training preparations begin, attention will now turn to how the 450 approved volunteers will be trained, engaged and deployed under the Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Programme.

Sources and attribution

,• Current programme information: NAFDAC-Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Team communication supplied to Pharmacy Times Nigeria, including the approval of 450 volunteers and the proposed training areas of pharmacovigilance, post-market surveillance and enforcement.

• Programme background: Communications announcing the NAFDAC Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Programme in 2025, including the recruitment exercise and proposed areas of volunteer engagement.

• Approved list: NAFDAC Young Pharmacists Reserve Volunteers Program – Shortlisted 450, Sorted by State, reviewed by Pharmacy Times Nigeria.

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