The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced that it stopped registering sachet alcohol in February 2024. The move is part of a broader campaign to curb substance abuse and improve public health.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, outlined the agency’s achievements over the past seven years and revealed its ambitious 2025 Strategic Plan.
She detailed the five key focus areas: strong governance, maternal and child health, institutionalising best practices, ensuring product quality and safety, and enhancing supply chain monitoring.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised the need to bolster the agency’s workforce, citing the current staff strength of 2,000 as inadequate for its extensive responsibilities.
She revealed plans to recruit 10,000 additional workers, while also incorporating rigorously screened volunteers to fill immediate gaps.
“We burn candles on both ends,” she said, highlighting the strain on the existing workforce.
NAFDAC also declared 2025 as the “Year of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health & Nutrition.” The agency plans to prioritise regulating maternal health products, paediatric medicines, and nutritional items to combat malnutrition and reduce mortality rates.
Further, the agency is intensifying efforts to address substandard and counterfeit products, aiming to reduce their prevalence to less than 5%. Plans include enhanced post-marketing surveillance and extending track-and-trace technology to high-risk products.
On the infrastructure front, NAFDAC intends to complete the construction of 10 zonal offices and laboratories to enhance operational efficiency. Investment in solar energy, modern equipment, and digital financial systems will also promote sustainability and transparency.
Prof. Adeyeye concluded by urging for improved funding and enforcement of local content policies, ensuring Nigeria’s health sector can address emerging challenges like counterfeit products and future pandemics.
“Our efforts are driven by a singular purpose—safeguarding the health of the nation,” she affirmed.
