The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised concerns over a severe staff shortage hampering its ability to effectively regulate medicines and other essential products across Nigeria.
Truthlivenews gathered that the NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the issue during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She explained that the staffing challenge affects not just NAFDAC but also the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), which registers drug-selling sites and practitioners.
“Both NAFDAC and PCN face staff shortages, which hinder our ability to reach every corner of the country,” Adeyeye said.
Drawing comparisons, she noted that Indonesia, with a population of 280 million, has 20,000 regulatory staff, while Nigeria, with a population of 220 million, operates with just 2,000 NAFDAC employees. She called on the government to urgently address this shortfall to improve regulatory oversight and public safety.
Adeyeye also addressed recent labour union tensions at NAFDAC, clarifying that staff promotion decisions were beyond the agency’s control. She explained that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation determines the number of staff eligible for promotion, not NAFDAC management.
“The Head of Service has the mandate for the number of staff to be promoted. It is not something NAFDAC could unilaterally decide,” she said, adding that the issue had been resolved following intervention from the presidency.
Despite the challenges, Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC continues to prioritize staff welfare, ensuring timely payment of salaries, allowances, and benefits. She emphasized the positive changes in the agency under her leadership, saying staff now feel supported by management.
“Things have changed completely in NAFDAC. The staff knows they have a management that is always on their side,” she concluded.