The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has revealed that the agency is severely understaffed, with its current workforce falling far short of the necessary numbers to effectively carry out its duties.
In a news conference held on Thursday in Lagos, Adeyeye disclosed that the agency is operating with approximately 2,000 staff members, despite the fact that, based on Nigeria’s population, NAFDAC should have a workforce of no less than 10,000.
She explained that the number of staff needed by any regulatory agency depends on the population size it serves. “It is easier to regulate a country with one million people than a country with 300 million people,” she stated.
The NAFDAC Director-General expressed the strain the agency’s current staff is under, emphasising that they are “burning candles at both ends” to safeguard the health of Nigerians. Adeyeye clarified, however, that the agency is not asking for the full complement of 10,000 staff immediately but instead is requesting an increase of “double or triple” the number currently employed.
Looking ahead to 2025, Adeyeye outlined five key strategic pillars that NAFDAC will focus on to strengthen its regulatory role and protect the nation’s health.
These pillars are: strong governance and leadership, maternal, newborn, and child health, institutionalising best practices, ensuring the safety and quality of regulated products, and enhancing the monitoring of the supply chain.
Reflecting on the past seven years of leadership, Adeyeye expressed pride in NAFDAC’s accomplishments, while also acknowledging that much more remains to be done. She highlighted the need to continually strengthen the regulatory system to ensure the protection of the public health.
“Reflection on the past seven years has brought into focus the many accomplishments that have been achieved in NAFDAC, and so many others to be attained,” she said. “This realisation has sharpened my focus on how to strategically work towards continued strengthening of the regulatory system.”
In line with NAFDAC’s vision for 2025, the agency will focus on improving access to quality regulated products. Strong governance and leadership will be central to ensuring that staff remain motivated and disciplined, with an emphasis on continuous training and development.
Adeyeye highlighted that the agency’s focus would particularly centre on maternal, newborn, and child health, noting that the safety and quality of regulated products are critical in reducing maternal deaths and child morbidity.
She specifically mentioned the importance of paediatric antimalarials and antibiotics, emphasising that manufacturers would be encouraged to develop paediatric medicines and work towards achieving WHO prequalification.
As the agency prepares for the year ahead, NAFDAC remains committed to enhancing the safety of regulated products and contributing to the wellbeing of Nigerians, despite the significant challenges posed by its understaffing.
