Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has called for increased collaboration to enhance Nigeria’s capacity for innovation, manufacturing, and health security. She made this appeal on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the 2025 Investiture and Public Lecture of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, in Lagos.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasizes the need to boost local drug production to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports, which currently stand at over 70%.
To achieve this, NAFDAC has introduced initiatives like the “5 plus 5” regulatory scheme and is strengthening regulatory systems to ensure quality medicines. Local manufacturers are encouraged to partner with NAFDAC.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said, “Before now, we had none. Today, we have prequalified medical devices and two prequalified medicine producers, proof that God did not create us differently. We can do it.” She highlighted the agency’s achievements, including a track-and-trace system and partnerships with universities. “Our staff now earn master’s and PhD degrees while serving full-time, that’s part of nation building.”
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FBN Holdings Group Managing Director, Wale Oyedeji, emphasized that innovation and collaboration are crucial to revamping Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry. “Pharmaceutical innovation is many things; it is science, yes, but it is also business, governance, and above all, nation building,” he said, warning that dependence on imports, inadequate research investment, and brain drain hinder growth. Oyedeji urged stakeholders to collaborate, invest in research, and leverage technologies like AI and data analytics.
The President of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, Lere Baale, highlighted the profession’s role in advancing health security, industrial growth, and policy development.
“Public perception defines professional destiny,” he said, adding that the Academy aims to redefine pharmacy as a leader in innovation, policy, and healthcare transformation, moving beyond the traditional role of dispensing medicines.
The event, which honored 14 new Fellows of the Academy, united pharmacists, policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to explore the impact of pharmaceutical innovation on nation-building.
