NAFDAC Aims At WHO’s Maturity Level 4, Says DG

National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) plans to attain the World Health Organisation (WHO’s) Maturity Level 4 Certification in drug and food regulations.

In a statement issued yesterday by NAFDAC media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, said the agency’s director-general (DG), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, dropped the hint at the inauguration of agency’s Ilorin office.

Adeyeye said the certification would place pharmaceutical products manufactured in Nigeria on a higher pedestal to compete favourably in the global market.

She recalled that at the first quarter of this year, precisely in March, the agency attained Maturity Level 3, adding that the agency would not rest on its oars until it attained Level 4.

She said the attainment of Level 3 in the WHO Global Benchmarking Tools, had placed NAFDAC among the recognised regulatory agencies in the world.

“It is pertinent to state that these huge achievements will not have been possible without a committed and dedicated workforce, and a very supportive Governing Council.

“The agency is not resting on its oars, but is working assiduously towards the attainment of Maturity Level 4, and the sustenance of its developmental strides,” the D-G was quoted in the statement as saying.

She listed sound infrastructure, standard equipment, conducive working environment for personnel, and accessible office locations for all stakeholders, as key to achieving this target.

Adeyeye said that at the time she assumed office, most of the agency’s offices were sited within the states’ federal secretariats or in rented apartments, noting that this was not good for the corporate image of the agency.

According to her, the situation is also responsible for Micro and Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) businesses, and other stakeholders’ inability to get access to NAFDAC offices.

“NAFDAC was created in 1993 to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals.

“To meet the mandate of the agency, the management under my supervision has embarked on a journey of strengthening NAFDAC through the establishment, implementation, and continuous improvement of its Quality Management System.