NAFDAC: The rising sun against counterfeit drugs

By Tersoo Adagher

In quantitative terms, it takes sunlight an average of eight minutes and twenty seconds to travel from the Sun to the Earth. This is what scientists call speed of light. This is also the corollary of happenings in the war Against counterfeit drugs and unwholesome food products being championed by NAFDAC in Nigeria.

The problems of fake drug proliferation in Nigeria have affected the credibility of the Healthcare system and can exert very harmful effects on the consumer resulting to illness; disability and even death and anyone can be a victim. Some of the incidences have resulted in death even among children because most times the consumers do not know the quality of what they are buying or taking.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is the government agency in Nigeria that is fully empowered to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of drugs in order to ensure that safe and quality drugs are available to the public.

Perhaps, since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office as President and Commander- in- Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With the score sheet of The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, even the harshest cynics in town would concede that there are unassailable facts on ground to establish the potency of the government’s agency efforts to stamp out counterfeit drugs in the country.
It all started with the right foot Tinubu put forward by re-appointing Professor Christiana Adeyeye, a thorough- bred expert as his point-person in the fight against fake drugs and unwholesome products. Success is never happenstance. The latin adage ” ex nihil nihilo” ( nothing comes from nothing) bears tangential truth to the appropriateness of the choice of Professor Adeyeye as the nation’s number one counterfeit drug fighter.
The avalanche of achievements of NAFDAC in the last one year confirms this.

professor Christian Adeyeye has entrenched in to NAFDAC fecundity of fresh ideas, vision, and drive which has refashion and redefine the war against fake drugs in Nigeria. In holding sway as the Director General of NAFDAC, by dint of hard work, courage, and clear-minded focus, Professor Adeyeye has brought to the NAFDAC and indeed, the entire nation what an average leader may not be able to accomplish in 10 years.
Whoever advised President Tinubu re-appoint Adeyeye as NAFDAC DG has offered one of the most patriotic and generational services to our nation.
For those who engage in counterfeiting drugs and fake food products, the last one year of Tinubu’s government has been one hell of a year.

More poignant in the narrative is the evidently busy schedules of NAFDAC in keeping faith with its mandate. Professor Adeyeye came with clear- eyed commitment towards rejigging the Agency’s modus operandi.

Upon assuming office, Professor Adeyeye was confronted with significant challenges, including substantial debt and outdated infrastructure. Through a commitment to quality management systems and international best practices, she has led NAFDAC from insolvency to a position of solvency. Key initiatives included:
Implementation of Quality Management Systems: In January 2018, NAFDAC began training its staff on quality management systems, resulting in the attainment of ISO 9001:2015 certification by 2019. This process involved regular self-audits and continuous improvement to maintain high standards of transparency and accountability.

The DG, Recognising the inefficiencies of a centralised system, NAFDAC decentralised its food registration processes to regional offices. This move significantly improved the ease of doing business for manufacturers across Nigeria.
NAFDAC under her watch has invested over six billion naira in upgrading its laboratories and purchasing essential equipment. These investments have not only enhanced operational efficiency but also led to international recognition, including World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification for the Central Drug Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos State.
Professor Adeyeye recently in an event organized by the Agency in Lagos, highlighted the critical role of robust regulation in ensuring economic stability, emphasising that NAFDAC’s efforts to maintain food and drug quality are essential for public health and a productive workforce.
This regulatory rigour also fosters confidence among manufacturers and consumers, driving sustainable economic growth. NAFDAC has undergone significant organisational restructuring to improve governance and efficiency, increasing its directorates from 13 to 26 and streamlining decision-making processes with focus groups and coordinating directors.

Stressing that under her leadership, NAFDAC achieved WHO maturity level three in 2022, a distinction held by only 30 per cent of global regulatory agencies, and is now aiming for level four to enhance international trade capabilities. Despite operating with a smaller workforce than comparable agencies, NAFDAC has made substantial progress, with ongoing efforts to improve staff conditions and expand its facilities, reflecting its commitment to excellence.

In the DG’s quest to create a business friendly for manufacturers and the entire market ecosystem, she Initiated some groundbreaking reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s regulatory and economic landscape. The agency reorganised its zonal structure to align with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), allowing local management of product registration, inspection, and pharmacovigilance while creating career advancement opportunities.

To support MSMEs, NAFDAC established local offices in all 36 states, focusing on product registration, sampling, and inspection, and promoted local manufacturing, particularly in therapeutic foods for children, reducing imports by 2023.
The “5+5 Initiative” was introduced to encourage local pharmaceutical production by limiting the renewal of licences for imported products. NAFDAC also conducts pre-shipment inspections to prevent substandard products from entering Nigeria, digitised the Port Inspection Directorate, and implemented the Mobile Authentication System (MAS) for consumers to verify product authenticity. The agency collaborates with security forces for enforcement and is transitioning open market sellers to controlled environments through Coordinated Wholesale Centers (CWC).
Economically, MSMEs, employing 80 per cent of Nigeria’s population and contributing 50 per cent to GDP, benefit from executive orders supporting local manufacturing. NAFDAC plans to outsource regulatory functions to licensed external labs, continue self-auditing, and facilitate global trade for Nigerian products. These initiatives have enhanced regulatory compliance and significantly contributed to Nigeria’s economic growth.

The trickle- down effects of the paradigm shifts in the operational dynamics of NAFDAC are manifesting already. Foreign direct investments are coming up, local business community is sending signals of hope and the entire nation is applauding the fresh air coming from the NAFDAC.

Are there challenges NAFDAC has been facing since the re-appointment of professor Adeyeyin the last one year? Yes! It is public knowledge that those whose business is to sabotage NAFDAC’s efforts has been fighting back viciously. This is expected. In all honesty, NAFDAC cannot be adjudged to be focussed on its mandate without such resistance. Every opposition to the fight against fake drugs is affirmation of its potency and impact. More assuring, however, is the stronger and more engaging public support NAFDAC has been enjoying.

It is on this note, I would like to opined that the recent strike embarked upon by The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations And Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is an attempt by the fifth columnists to discredit the painstaking gains and grounds NAFDAC is achieving under president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Moreso, the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Adeyeye , said the reasons advanced by the striking workers against the agency are not true.
Adding that, whether it is a matter of promotion or estacode, the agency has been following the rules and is committed to promoting the workers’ welfare.
She said: “We are not in charge of the number of people to promote, we are only responsible for conducting exams. The office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOS) is always responsible for allocating available vacancies that the government can pay for.
“It is not that there is vacancy and we are not promoting. It is what the government can pay for that they approve as vacancy every year. It is not different from any other agency.”
On the issue of estacode, as raised by the striking workers, Mrs Adeyeye said there is nothing wrong with the agency’s estacode policy. “That is just playing to the gallery. Our staff have always been paid their due estacode and so, that is not an issue.”
“We are not different from any other agency, the estacode will be paid when the evidence of the trip is presented. We have never owed any staff any travel allowance,” the DG added.

TERSOO ADAGHER, A Public Affairs Commentator, writes from Abuja.