Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said fake and adulterated food and drugs are undermining the Nigerian economy and eroding global trust in Made-in-Nigeria products.
Speaking at a roundtable breakfast meeting organised by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) on Wednesday, Adeyeye told business leaders that producers of substandard products are not thinking of Nigeria, and that compliance with quality and safety standards has become a competitive advantage for firms seeking local and international markets.
“Those that make bad medicines and sell them in open markets are not thinking of Nigeria,” she said. “Those that bring badly made products into the country, eluding customs, are not thinking of Nigeria. To build Nigeria, we have to love Nigeria. Nigeria is crying right now.”
The comments come amid a national outcry over fake and adulterated food in Nigeria, with consumers and regulators raising concerns about counterfeit medicines, contaminated food products and weak enforcement across open markets.
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She said regulatory compliance should not be viewed as a burden or paperwork exercise, but as a strategic investment in consumer confidence, business growth and long-term sustainability.
“Compliance is no longer just a legal obligation. It is a competitive advantage,” she said. “Companies that consistently produce safe and high-quality products earn public trust.”
“They strengthen their reputation, attract investment, and gain greater access to both local and international markets.”
She said NAFDAC regulates not only to safeguard public health, but to enable trade. Nigerian products must meet international standards to compete under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and in global markets, she said.
“What will I call success when I leave office? Success is Made-in-Nigeria products, medicines, food, being sold in Thailand, South Africa, America,” Adeyeye said. “That is success to me.”
She warned that quality cannot be tested into a product after manufacture. It must be built in from sourcing of raw materials through manufacturing, distribution and post-market monitoring.
Good Manufacturing Practices remain the cornerstone of food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, she said, adding that it is not the size of a company that matters, but how well its systems, staff and processes are organised.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC adopted a Quality Management System based on ISO 9001 in 2018 and 2019, introducing standard operating procedures, documentation, risk assessment, change control and internal audits.
She said leadership commitment drives compliance and that regulatory requirements must be integrated into organisational strategy.
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Nigeria is now recognised as a Maturity Level 3 regulatory authority by the World Health Organisation, Adeyeye said. Only about 33 percent of 194 regulatory agencies globally have reached that level.
NAFDAC is also the 24th member of the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH), which has only 25 members.
The agency is now pursuing Maturity Level 4 and WHO-Listed Authority status, which would allow medicines approved by NAFDAC to be sold worldwide, she said.
To reach that level, WHO requires full digitisation. Adeyeye said about 90 percent of NAFDAC processes are now digitised, including registration, clinical trial applications and laboratory work.
She said supply chain integrity is critical in Nigeria’s harsh environment of high temperature and humidity.
Products left in containers at ports degrade faster, she said, and NAFDAC is pushing to shorten clearance times and expand traceability systems for vaccines, narcotics and maternal health commodities.
On inspections, Adeyeye said NAFDAC is not police coming to disturb businesses, but an agency seeking to correct problems and drive continuous improvement. She warned against bribery, saying compromised inspections can compromise product quality and cost lives.
The DG also linked food and drug safety to national productivity. She said life expectancy in Nigeria is about 56 years, down from above 60 years when she was growing up.
“Safe food and quality medicines build healthy communities,” she said. “They create competitive businesses and a stronger nation.”
She urged businesses to see compliance as a pathway to excellence, innovation and global competitiveness, and to work with regulators, academia and consumers to strengthen food and drug safety systems.
“Together, we can ensure that products made in Nigeria are not only trusted at home, but are respected and sought after across the world,” she said.
Speaking also, Jani Ibrahim, national president of NACCIMA, represented by Michael Olawale-Cole, second deputy President, said the engagement addressed competitiveness, regulatory compliance, food and drug safety, product standards and market access.
Ibrahim said effective regulation is essential to protecting consumers, building confidence and ensuring that Nigerian products meet both domestic and international standards.
He said businesses, particularly SMEs and local manufacturers, continue to face challenges relating to compliance costs, product registration, certification and regulatory procedures.
“We appeal that we must promote a regulatory environment that protects public health while supporting local production, investment, and enterprise growth,” he said.
Ibrahim said Adeyeye’s presence provided an important opportunity for constructive engagement between regulators and the business community on practical ways to address the challenges and strengthen industry competitiveness.
He encouraged participants to engage actively, share experiences and offer practical recommendations that can translate the discussions into meaningful improvements for businesses and consumers.
