NAFDAC dey boost Naija drug regulatory system gally gally!

No be small matter as NAFDAC dey put everything for ground to make sure dem move to WHO Global Benchmarking Tool Maturity Level 4. Dis one na serious level for our drug regulatory process o, and dem dey plan full digitalisation and use AI for drug approval and safety monitoring. Na Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, wey talk am for one media gist wey happen for Lagos.

As she dey yarn, she talk say since 2018, NAFDAC don dey try hard to align our regulatory system with wetin dey happen for international level. Na im make dem start dis modernisation journey, and she no go fit hide the wahala wey dem face. ‘Di road no be smooth at all o,’ she talk. But dem sabi say na better foundation dem wan build based on Quality Management System and strong laws.

For di journey, dem don establish wetin dem call Quality Management System wey dey follow ISO 9001:2015 standard, and na dis one carry dem go certification for 2019. Dis certification na serious achievement wey help dem to fit structure dem policies and procedures well, so dem go fit dey make decisions wey dey fair and consistent.

For medicines regulation, Adeyeye talk say di WHO Global Benchmarking Tool na wetin carry dem come better ground. Nigeria don move from Level 1 wey mean say dem dey fail, to Level 3 wey mean say dem dey excellent. And for 2025, dem benchmark again, become di first regulatory authority for Africa wey achieve dis level. Na big achievement wey go change di game for all of us for Naija o.

Aside dis, NAFDAC don also join International Council for Harmonisation as di 24th member. Na join as membership dey very scarce o, only 25 countries dey among di 194 national regulatory authorities wey dey exist for di whole world.

Adeyeye still talk say dem dey work on local manufacturing as dem don reduce reliance on imports. With policies like di 5+5 directive, dem don show serious improvement as na over 70 percent of products wey dey under di initiative don dey make for Naija.

Dis one don make di ratio of imported to locally manufactured products change from 70:30 in 2019 to 60:40 in 2025. Even di partnerships wey involve contract manufacturing don jump from 10 to 87 in di same period. Na serious transformation wey dey happen as e dey show say our local producers don dey gain confidence.

For food safety regulation, Adeyeye talk say dem don decentralise food registration and dey use digital platforms to help small businesses flourish. Dis na strategy wey dey ensure say our food producers dey comply with better standards while improving efficiency.

With everything wey dey happen, NAFDAC dey lead di charge to reliable regulation, and di transition to intelligent regulation go bring in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to ensure say dem fit oversee things well.

At di end of di day, Adeyeye assure say di commitment to protect public health na priority wey dey guide dem, and dem dey follow di path of innovation wey go boost economic growth and safeguard di health of all Naija people. E go better for Naija o!