NAFDAC reforms boost local drug production, attract investors, says DG

Nigeria’s drug regulator says reforms have helped expand local manufacturing and attract foreign investment to the country’s health-products sector.

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, presented the agency’s record at the Invest Nigeria Conference & Expo 4.0 in Lagos. The event was hosted by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Eko Hotels and Suites.

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Prof. Adeyeye highlighted NAFDAC’s sustained Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status, the highest benchmarking rating in Africa, as a cornerstone of investor confidence, alongside full ICH membership attained in November 2025.

Adeyeye pointed to NAFDAC’s sustained Maturity Level 3 status, which the agency describes as Africa’s highest benchmarking rating. She also cited Nigeria’s full membership of the International Council for Harmonisation, achieved in November 2025, as a factor supporting investor confidence.

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contract manufacturing partnerships grew from 10 companies in 2019 to 87 in 2025; 176 facility layout reviews have been approved as of June 2026; and over 70% of products under both directives are now locally manufactured.

She highlighted the effects of NAFDAC’s 5+5 Policy and Ceiling List on contract manufacturing and local production. Contract-manufacturing partnerships grew from 10 companies in 2019 to 87 in 2025, while the agency approved 176 facility-layout reviews by June 2026. More than 70% of products covered by the two directives are now manufactured locally, according to the agency.

Adeyeye also pointed to increased foreign direct investment through joint ventures and technology transfers involving companies from India, South Korea and Turkey. She said the Presidential Executive Order on Local Production further supports NAFDAC’s regulatory framework.

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She also noted a rise in foreign direct investment, with joint ventures and technology transfers involving firms from India, South Korea, and Turkey, and referenced the Presidential Executive Order on Local Production as reinforcing NAFDAC’s regulatory framework.

The NAFDAC director-general called for continued cooperation among regulators, investors and other stakeholders. She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to a regulatory environment that supports investment while protecting public health and expanding Nigeria’s domestic production capacity.

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Prof. Adeyeye called on stakeholders to sustain collaboration with the Agency, and reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to a market-friendly regulatory environment that protects public health while enabling investment and advancing Nigeria’s domestic production capacity.