The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has reaffirmed the agency’s unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive regulatory environment for local manufacturers to thrive in Nigeria. Speaking in Lagos during a media parley on Friday, April 10, 2026, the Director General stated that the decimation of import dependency in the pharmaceutical and food sectors remains a primary objective of the current administration. She noted that through the diligent enforcement of the “Five Plus Five-Year Validity” (5+5) policy, NAFDAC has successfully incentivized domestic production, resulting in a significant increase in the local manufacture of essential medicines from 30 percent to approximately 50 percent over the last few years.
The “Five Plus Five” policy is a strategic regulatory framework that allows companies to import specific products for five years, during which they must establish a verifiable blueprint for local manufacturing or partner with existing Nigerian firms. Professor Adeyeye explained that upon the successful renewal of a registration license for the second five-year term, the agency closely monitors the company’s migration plan to ensure that production is transferred to Nigerian soil. This approach is intended to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to global supply chain shocks and ensure that life-saving medications are accessible and affordable. The Director General emphasized that NAFDAC is no longer just a “policing” agency but a partner in industrial growth, providing technical guidance to help local firms meet international standards.
Stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry, including the Chairman of Sam Pharmaceutical Limited, Amit Bhojuwani, have lauded the agency’s efforts to create a level playing field. During the commissioning of a new facility in Lagos, industry leaders noted that the “Maturity Level 3” status recently attained by NAFDAC under the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool has boosted the global credibility of Nigerian-made products. This international recognition allows local manufacturers to participate in global tenders, thereby increasing the foreign exchange earnings of the country. However, manufacturers continue to urge the Federal Government to address systemic challenges such as high energy costs and the instability of the naira, which threaten to undermine the regulatory gains made by the agency.
Healthcare and economic analysts suggest that pharmaceutical sovereignty is a critical component of Nigeria’s national security architecture. Experts argue that the transition from a 70:30 import-to-local ratio in 2019 to the current 60:40 and approaching 50:50 parity is a remarkable feat of “regulatory engineering.” They suggest that NAFDAC’s focus on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) ensures that local expansion does not come at the expense of safety or efficacy. Analysts maintain that for the agency to reach “Maturity Level 4,” it must continue to digitize its processes and leverage Artificial Intelligence for drug approval and safety monitoring. They argue that the government must protect this burgeoning local industry from the influx of substandard and counterfeit imported products that often evade border controls.
The broader implications of NAFDAC’s pro-manufacturing stance point toward a future where Nigeria becomes the “pharmacy hub” for the West African sub-region. By encouraging local production of finished pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and packaging materials, the agency is driving job creation and technical skill transfer. The Director General’s commitment to “smart and predictable regulation” is seen as a catalyst for both indigenous investment and foreign direct investment in the health sector. As the agency moves toward ISO 9001:2026 certification, the focus remains on sustaining a regulatory system that is transparent, efficient, and fit for purpose. For the Nigerian manufacturer, the Director General’s message is a clear signal that the era of unfettered importation is drawing to a close in favor of national self-reliance.
