The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a regulatory body in Nigeria, established to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.
Over the years, NAFDAC has played a critical role in protecting public health by enforcing strict product standards within its mandate.
All NAFDAC DGs From 1994- Present
| No. | Director-General | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide | November 1994 – December 2000 |
| 2 | Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili | January 2001 – December 2008 |
| 3 | Dr. Paul Botwev Orhii | January 2009 – February 2016 |
| 4 | Mrs. Yetunde Oni (Acting DG) | February 2016 – 2017 September |
| 5 | Mr. Ademola Andrew Magbojuri (Acting DG) | September 2017- November 2017 |
| 6 | Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye | November 2017- November 2022 |
| 7 | Dr. Monica Eimunjeze (Acting DG) | November 2022- December 2022. |
| 8 | Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye | 30th December 2022- Present |
Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide (November 1994 – December 2000)
Professor Gabriel Osuide was the first substantive Director-General of NAFDAC, appointed in 1994. A pharmacist and academic, he had a background in pharmacology, which was key in establishing Nigeria’s drug control policies. The foundation Professor Osuide built has been a base on which several endeavours of NAFDAC have taken place.
He set standards on all fronts such as regulatory enforcement, public health awareness and international cooperation enabling future Directors-General to follow his lead. His efforts have led to the fight against counterfeit drugs as well as enhancing pharmaceutical safety for Nigerians.
Notable Projects
- Osuide laid the foundational framework for NAFDAC, focusing on creating a robust system for regulating the food and drug industries.
- His tenure saw the establishment of essential standards for product registration, quality control, and market surveillance to eliminate counterfeit drugs from the Nigerian market.
- Seeing the importance of having up-to-date laboratory facilities that are adequately equipped with modern instruments, Professor Osuide started working towards improving their infrastructure to facilitate efficient drug analysis and quality control.
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Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye (Nov 2017 – Nov 2022, Dec 2022 – Present)
In 2017 she became one of the few women in Africa to hold such an important position with great responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer in Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC).
Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye is a pharmacist and an academician who took over office in november 2017 up till november 2022.
She brought along vast experience from both academic circles and industry having worked before her appointment at NAFDAC as deputy vice chancellor academics at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Towards the end of 2022 (december), she was back at the helm of NAFDAC working on issues of more accountability, transparency and modernization. Prof Adeyeye has continued leading NAFDAC through an age where innovation is key in everything.
Notable Projects
- Adeyeye spearheaded the digital revolution at NAFDAC through the application of new regulatory tools which improved efficiency and transparency.
- Her implementation of reforms strengthened the agency’s enforcement of drug safety laws and raised its international profile.
- Adeyeye has significantly improved NAFDAC’s anti-counterfeit initiatives while extending the agency’s relationships with other countries.
- She has concentrated on regulations meant to control what kind of food and pharmaceuticals are allowed into Nigeria for health reasons.
- Additionally, her leadership emphasizes on creating capacity as well as improving staff welfare at the agency.
