National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control

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National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
AbbreviationNAFDAC
Formation1993 (1993)
Headquarters Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
Coordinates 9°03′19″N7°27′23″E / 9.055206°N 7.456496°E / 9.055206; 7.456496
Official language
English
Director General
 Mojisola Adeyeye
Website nafdac.gov.ng

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a Nigerian federal agency under the Federal Ministry of Health that is responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water. [1] [2]

Contents

The agency is headed by Mojisola Adeyeye, who was appointed in 2017 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the director-general. She completed her five-year term on 2 November 2022 and was reappointed for a second term on 1 December 2022. [3] [4]

Formation

The organisation was established to counter illicit and counterfeit products in Nigeria in 1993 under the country's health and safety law. Adulterated and counterfeit drugs are a problem in Nigeria. In one 1989 incident, over 150 children died as a result of paracetamol syrup containing diethylene glycol. The problem of fake drugs was so severe that neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Sierra Leone officially banned the sale of drugs, foods, and beverage products made in Nigeria.[ citation needed ]

Such problems led to the establishment of NAFDAC, with the goal of eliminating counterfeit pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages products that are not manufactured in Nigeria and ensuring that available medications are safe and effective.

The formation of NAFDAC was inspired by a 1988 World Health Assembly resolution requesting countries' help in combating the global health threat posed by counterfeit pharmaceuticals. [5]

In December 1992, NAFDAC's first governing council was formed. The council was chaired by Tanimu Saulawa. In January 1993, supporting legislation was approved as Legislative Decree No. 15 of 1993. On 1 January 1994, NAFDAC was officially established as a parastatal of the federal ministry of health. [6]

NAFDAC replaced an earlier federal ministry of health body, the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration and Control, which had been deemed ineffective, partially because of a lack of laws concerning fake drugs.[ citation needed ]

Administration

Chairman and council

The NAFDAC governing council is chaired by a chairman appointed by the president on the recommendation of the minister of health. The council members include: [7]

Three people from the general public are also represented on the council.

NAFDAC is divided into 20 directorates and several units, including: [8]

Functions

NAFDAC has various basic functions. [8] According to the requirements of its enabling decree, the agency was authorised to:

NAFDAC envisions that by making these functions known, its actions will be apparent "in all sectors that deal with food, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals to the extent of instilling the extra need for caution and compulsion to respect and obey existing regulations both for healthy living and knowledge of certain sanctions or default. Despite the establishment of NAFDAC, the sale and use of fake drugs did not end. [ check quotation syntax ]

New amendments since 2001

Dissatisfied with progress in combating fake drugs, President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration dissolved the management of NAFDAC in August 2000. In April 2001, a new management, with Dora Akunyili as director-general, was inaugurated. [9] The team reorganised the agency, which has been successful in the recent past due to three new federal policies:

Controversies

The activities of NAFDAC have been the subject of considerable scrutiny in recent years. The agency has drawn fire for being susceptible to overt government interference, subject to bribery, internal feuding, and constant rumours and allegations abound concerning the misappropriation of funds. In one high-profile (and typical) case, the former NAFDAC director of finance and accounts, Andrew Ademola Mogbojuri, alleged mass fraud in 2015 against the agency's director-general, Paul Orhii. [11] The agency claimed sour grapes were behind the allegation and labelled Mogbojuri's claim "misleading and cheap blackmail."

Orhii was also the subject of a sweeping fraud allegation by NAFDAC whistleblowers earlier in 2015. A petition was sent to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging frivolous contract awards and supplies, manipulated publicity efforts, donations, and international air travel racketeering. [12]

Some of the world's largest brewers have been caught up in NAFDAC scandals as well. From a 2013 report alleging bribery conducted by Guinness and Heineken:

Two multinational beer companies (Guinness and Heineken) have decided to do it the illegal way, which insiders alleged is to bribe officials of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) to deny the manufacturers of local herbal gin accreditation, knowing that Nigerians who had been patronizing them will desist once they are not accredited by the agency. The bribes amount to millions of Naira. [13] Guinness was back in the NAFDAC glare in 2016. Having been fined about ₦1 billion in November 2015 [14] for allegedly re-validating and using expired raw materials without prior approval, the multinational brewer responded with a lawsuit, which was quietly dropped in March 2016. [15]

Stakeholders

NAFDAC ensures it maintains very close contact with a number of national and international organisations whose activities relate to its functions. Such organisations include the following. [16]

In order to keep in touch with the international scene for information, training, cooperation assistance, aid, and financing of specific projects, especially in these days of global and national austerity, the agency maintains close relationships with a number of international agencies, some of which include:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NAFDAC Vision and Mission – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "About NAFDAC – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  3. ↑ Adejoro, Lara (30 December 2022). "UPDATED: Buhari reappoints Adeyeye as NAFDAC DG". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Director General's Page – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Applauding NAFDAC's change agent role". guardian.ng. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "About NAFDAC – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "NAFDAC Governing Council – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  8. 1 2 "NAFDAC Organisation – NAFDAC" . Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. 1 2 NAFDAC: Battle against fake drugs Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine . 2003-03-04. Retrieved on 2006-03-25
  10. ↑ The Director General: Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR) – Biography Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine . NAFDAC Nigeria. Retrieved on 2007-07-25
  11. ↑ Okoghenun, Joseph. "NAFDAC denies alleged funds misuse by DG" . Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  12. ↑ "NAFDAC In Rotting State, Petitioners Say, Alleging Fraud And Waste". Sahara Reporters. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Oluwabunmi, Obarotimi (30 December 2013). "Multinational conspiracy as Guinness and Nigerian Breweries Team-Up Against Local Herbal Gin Makers". Society Gazette. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Oguh, Chibuike (12 November 2015). "NAFDAC fines Guinness $5 million over expired raw materials". Financial Nigeria. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  15. ↑ "Guinness Nigeria withdraws suit against NAFDAC, pays N11.4 million fine". Premium Times. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  16. ↑ Stakeholders. (2005). Retrieved on April 10, 2006 from http://www.nafdacnigeria.org/stakeholders.html Archived 1 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ "Consumer protection agency says customers' complaints up 100%". 24 March 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "SON steps up measures to ensure products in Nigeria meet best standards". Vanguard News. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Archives". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "INTERVIEW: How NIPRD is supporting Nigeria's fight against COVID-19 -- DG". 10 January 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "PCN sets March 31,2022 as deadline for registration, renewal of premises licenses". Vanguard News. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "IPAN | Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria". www.ipan.gov.ng. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
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