By Flowerbud News
Lagos: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Thursday said the agency will focus on five strategic pillars to further safeguard the nation’s health.
(NAFDAC DG, Prof. Moji Adeyeye)
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC disclosed this at a news conference organised in Lagos to outline its focus for 2025.
Adeyeye listed the pillars as strong governance and leadership, maternal, newborn and child health, institutionalisation of best practices, safety and quality of regulated products and monitoring of the supply chain.
She said: “Reflection on the past seven years has brought into focus the many accomplishments that have been achieved in NAFDAC and so many others to be attained.
(Ever caring; Prof. Adeyeye, appreciates, rejoices with then retiring NAFDAC North West Zonal Director, Mrs Josephine Dayilim)
“This realisation has sharpened my focus on how to strategically work towards continued strengthening of the regulatory system as a needed path toward safeguarding the health of the nation.”
According to her, NAFDAC will continue to unlock the value chain through strengthening the industry with a focus on access to quality regulated products.
She said that strong governance and leadership would ensure that its workforce stays highly motivated and disciplined, while training remains a premium for staff.
The DG emphasised that the agency would pay more attention to the safety and quality of regulated products for maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition.
She said this would help to prevent postpartum haemorrhage and maternal deaths and drastically reduce child morbidity.
“Great emphasis will be placed on paediatric antimalarials and antibiotics.
“Manufacturers will be incentivised to develop paediatric medicines and handheld toward achieving WHO prequalification,” she said.
(Prof. Adeyeye in far away South Korea to strengthen collaboration for a better protection of the health of Nigerians)
Adeyeye, however, noted that the agency was extremely under-staffed.
“The number of staff that an agency has or should have depends on the population of the country because it is easier to regulate a country with one million than a country with 300 million people.
(Prif. Adeyeye working hard to expand MAFDAC’s International collaboration and status)
“I’m just giving an example based on our population; we are supposed to have nothing less than 10,000 staff; we have about 2,000 right now.
(Prof Adeyeye formalising and Strengthening collaboration with local sister agencies to enhance NAFDAC task of safeguarding health of Nigerians)
(NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in a loving pose with hubby, Senator Adeyeye, a sign of a stable, happy home and support – resulting in tremendous achievements and transformation in NAFDAC)
“We burn candles on both ends, overstress ourselves because we have to safeguard the health of Nigerians.
“We are not asking for 10,000 staff now; we are just asking for double or triple what we currently have,” she said. NAN
