Regulatory Affairs
NAFDAC Reaffirms Commitment to Stronger Regulatory Systems for Quality Medicines
NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to strengthening regulatory systems, quality management and workforce capacity to support access to safe, quality and efficacious medicines in Nigeria.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening sustainable regulatory systems to support Nigerians’ access to safe, quality and efficacious medicines and nutritious foods.
The Agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the Mid-Year Review of Nigeria’s Health Sector Reforms and Policy Dialogue.
Adeyeye emphasised the importance of reliable access to essential health commodities in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), noting that effective regulatory systems, quality management and a competent workforce are important components of sustainable health outcomes.
According to NAFDAC, the Agency has continued to strengthen its regulatory systems through the implementation of standard operating procedures, quality management systems and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT).
The Agency said these efforts reflect a broader focus on building sustainable systems and institutional capacity while strengthening Nigeria’s regulatory framework and contributing to public health protection.
Why regulatory systems matter
Access to medicines is not solely a question of availability. Medicines must also meet appropriate standards for quality, safety and efficacy before they can contribute meaningfully to health outcomes.
This makes the capacity of a national medicines regulatory authority important to the wider health system. Effective regulation supports confidence in medicines available to patients and healthcare professionals, while quality-management systems help regulatory institutions maintain consistent processes and standards.
NAFDAC’s emphasis on institutional capacity also comes as Nigeria continues to strengthen its medicines regulatory system. The WHO Global Benchmarking Tool provides a framework for assessing the maturity of national regulatory authorities and identifying areas for improvement.
Nigeria’s medicines regulatory system has previously achieved and maintained WHO Maturity Level 3, indicating an established and integrated regulatory system. NAFDAC has also stated its ambition to progress towards Maturity Level 4.
For pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, developments in medicines regulation have implications across the medicines-use system, including confidence in regulated products, supply and procurement decisions, and patient safety.
The emphasis on regulatory strengthening therefore places medicines regulation within the broader conversation on health-system reform and Universal Health Coverage.
As Nigeria works towards expanding access to healthcare, maintaining strong regulatory institutions will remain essential to ensuring that greater access to medicines is accompanied by appropriate standards of quality, safety and efficacy.