Workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have vowed to continue their indefinite strike action until their demands are met. The strike, which began on October 7, is in response to several unresolved issues, including the review of the 2024 promotion examinations and the payment of statutory arrears and other benefits.
According to Adetoboye Ayodeji, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, NAFDAC branch, the strike is a result of the agency’s failure to promote many staff members who passed the promotion examinations. Ayodeji alleged that despite over 700 staff members sitting for the examinations, only 36% were promoted, which is unacceptable to the union. He emphasized that the management claimed there were no vacancies, yet they were recruiting outsiders to fill positions that internal staff were qualified for.
The union also highlighted that some statutory arrears and other benefits due to staff employed in 2022 have not been paid. An agreement signed in 2022 regarding the workers’ conditions of service has not been complied with, and allowances that were supposed to be approved by December 2022 remain unpaid. The union has written several letters to the NAFDAC management but has received no adequate response.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has denied the claims, stating that the agency has been following the rules on payment of arrears and estacode and is committed to promoting the workers’ welfare. However, the union remains resolute in their demands and has called for negotiations with the agency’s management to resolve the issues.
