Nigeria's NAFDAC chief warns of staff shortage and consultant scams

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director‑General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said the agency operates with only about 2,000 staff for a population of 240 million and needs at least 5,000 additional personnel to improve nationwide regulation. She compared the shortfall with Indonesia, which has roughly 20,000 regulators for a similar population, and called for renewed funding for the Federal Task Force C34 Bill, which has received no financial support since its 2004 enactment.

Adeyeye also cautioned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) against using consultants to obtain NAFDAC registration numbers, warning that many have been defrauded. She emphasized that NAFDAC handles registrations directly, keeps fees low (N35,000), and subsidises laboratory testing for small businesses. The DG highlighted the agency’s “5 Plus 5” policy, which has reduced imports of certain pharmaceutical products by about 70 %, supporting local manufacturing.

The statements were made during a Channels Television interview and a programme on the same network, reflecting NAFDAC’s focus on strengthening regulatory capacity and protecting Nigerian traders.