Nigeria NAFDAC regulatory capacity issues

In late July 2026, Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) completed a three‑day training programme for its staff on pesticide‑residue risk assessment, aiming to strengthen food‑safety systems and lift export bans on beans and sesame seeds. The training, conducted with Mississippi State University and based on a USDA‑sponsored study, equipped participants with skills in residue surveillance, laboratory analysis, HACCP and evidence‑based regulatory decision‑making.

A week later, NAFDAC’s Director‑General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted deeper systemic challenges. She warned that the agency’s 2,000 staff are insufficient for a 240‑million‑person population, calling for at least 5,000 additional regulators and renewed funding for the Federal Task Force C34 Bill. Adeyeye also cautioned small businesses against fraudulent consultants offering registration services, emphasizing that NAFDAC handles registrations directly at low fees and subsidises laboratory testing. The statements underscored the agency’s broader focus on expanding regulatory capacity, protecting traders, and supporting local manufacturing amid ongoing staffing and funding shortfalls.