The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a Nigerian federal agency under the Federal Ministry of Health that is responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water. The agency is headed by Dr. Monica Eimunjeze in an acting capacity on November 12, 2022, according to an internal memo dated November 17, 2022, signed by Oboli A.U and copied to all Directors at the agency, following the expiration of Prof Mojisola Adeyeye. She was appointed on 12 November 2022 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the acting Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Formation

The organization was established to counter illicit and counterfeit products in Nigeria in 1993 under the country's health and safety law. Adulterated and counterfeit drugs are a problem in Nigeria. In one 1989 incident, over 150 children died as a result of paracetamol syrup containing diethylene glycol. The problem of fake drugs was so severe that neighboring countries such as Ghana and Sierra Leone officially banned the sale of drugs, foods, and beverages products made in Nigeria. Such problems led to the establishment of NAFDAC, with the goal of eliminating counterfeit pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages products that are not manufactured in Nigeria and ensuring that available medications are safe and effective. The formation of NAFDAC was inspired by a 1988 World Health Assembly resolution requesting countries' help in combating the global health threat posed by counterfeit pharmaceuticals. In December 1992, NAFDAC's first governing council was formed. The council was chaired by Tanimu Saulawa. In January 1993, supporting legislation was approved as Legislative Decree No. 15 of 1993. On January 1, 1994, NAFDAC was officially established as a “parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health”. NAFDAC replaced an earlier Federal Ministry of Health body, the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration and Control, which had been deemed ineffective, partially because of a lack of laws, concerning fake drugs.

Administration

Chairman and council “(NAFDAC) is headed by a chairman who presides over a governing council appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Minister of Health.”Other council members are: Three people from the general public are also represented on the council. Several units make up NAFDAC which include:

Functions

NAFDAC has various basic functions. According to the requirements of its enabling decree, the Agency was authorized to: NAFDAC envisions that by making these functions known, its actions will be apparent “in all sectors that deal with food, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals to the extent of instilling the extra need for caution and compulsion to respect and obey existing regulations both for healthy, living and knowledge of certain sanctions or default. Despite the establishment of NAFDAC, the sale and use of fake drugs did not end.

New amendments since 2001

Dissatisfied with progress in combating fake drugs, President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration dissolved the management of NAFDAC in August 2000. In April 2001, a new management, with Dora Akunyili as director-general, was inaugurated. The team re-organized the agency, which has been successful in the recent past due to three new federal policies:

Controversies

The activities of NAFDAC have been the subject of considerable scrutiny in recent years. The agency has drawn fire for being susceptible to overt government interference, subject to bribery, internal feuding, and constant rumors and or allegations abound concerning the misappropriation of funds. In one high-profile (and typical) case, the former NAFDAC director of finance and accounts, Andrew Ademola Mogbojuri, alleged mass fraud in 2015 against the agency's director-general, Paul Orhii. The agency claimed sour grapes were behind the allegation and labeled Mogbojuri's claim "misleading and cheap blackmail". Orhii was also the subject of a sweeping fraud allegation by NAFDAC whistleblowers earlier in 2015. A petition was sent to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging frivolous contract awards and supplies, manipulated publicity efforts, donations, and international air travel racketeering. Some of the world's largest brewers have been caught up in NAFDAC scandals as well. From a 2013 report alleging bribery conducted by Guinness and Heineken:"Two multinational beer companies (Guinness and Heineken) have decided to do it the illegal way, which insiders alleged is to bribe officials of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) to deny the manufacturers of local herbal gin accreditation, knowing that Nigerians who had been patronizing them will desist once they are not accredited by the agency. The bribes amount to millions of Naira. Guinness was back in the NAFDAC glare in 2016. Having been fined about ₦1 billion in November 2015 for allegedly re-validating and using expired raw materials without prior approval, the multinational brewer responded with a lawsuit, which was quietly dropped in March 2016."

Stakeholders

NAFDAC ensures it maintains very close contact with a number of national and international organizations whose activities relate to the functions of NAFDAC. Such Organizations include the following. In order to keep in touch with the international scene for information, training, cooperation assistance, aid, and for financing of specific projects, especially in these days of global and national austerity, the agency maintains close relationships with a number of international agencies some of which include: