NAFDAC reassures on attainment of WHO Maturity Level 4 by Q1 2024

• Tasks Nigerians on patriotism for nation’s greatness

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reassured that Nigeria will attain World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 4 to strategically position it for vaccine production by first quarter of next year.

The Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who gave reassurance in her second term resumption speech in Abuja, yesterday, stated that the agency was collaborating with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to check substance abuse in Nigeria.

She reiterated that attaining WHO ML4 and World Listed Authority (WLA) status would enable global trade of Nigeria-made pharmaceuticals through collaborative registration with other regulatory agencies and also make local manufacturers become more competitive in African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

Adeyeye promised that NAFDAC would create Women’s Health Office to understudy drug, cosmetics and food products that affect the gender, the unborn and children, emphasising misuse or abuse of drug among women and impact on the child, adding that more focus would be on maternal and child mortality, as well as morbidity rate

She said her organisation would heighten supply chain surveillance and ensure continued sanitisation to mitigate counterfeits and substandard, counterfeit and falsified medicines.

Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has tripled to N2.5 billion, while user fees more than doubled to N15 billion.

According to her, since 2019, foreign funding (cash and technical support) received by the agency amounts to $3,927,186, with the funds dedicated to specific projects.
BESIDES, the DG has charged Nigerians on doing the right thing to make the country great.

Making the appeal in Lagos, she reminded the citizenry that righteousness exalts a nation.

She restated NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding the health of the nation through firm regulation of production, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water, among others.

Adeyeye explained that the regulator internalises international standards to ensure that products are of quality, safe and efficacious for the health of consumers.

She thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for renewing her term.