President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
By John Ugo
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for retaining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Maturity Level 3 status for regulating medicines and vaccines. This achievement is a testament to NAFDAC’s professionalism and consistency in ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicines and vaccines in Nigeria.
The WHO conducted a re-benchmarking exercise from May 28 to May 30, 2025, which assessed NAFDAC’s compliance with international regulatory standards. The evaluation followed a formal re-benchmarking in November 2024 and five Institutional Development Plan (IDP) review meetings between February and April 2025 to track corrective actions.
NAFDAC first attained Maturity Level 3 status in 2022, becoming the first national regulatory authority in Africa to reach this milestone for regulating medicines and vaccines in non-producing countries. The WHO’s verdict noted that “NAFDAC has successfully maintained a regulatory system that operates as a stable, well-functioning, and integrated framework for regulating medicines and vaccines (non-producing)”.
President Tinubu described the milestone as “a boost to Nigeria’s credibility in global health security and pandemic preparedness”. He pledged that Nigeria will continue collaborating with credible partners, development agencies, and donor organizations to promote the pharmaceutical sector, attract investment in health-related industries, and expand local manufacturing capacity.
The President assured that his administration will continue supporting NAFDAC in its journey towards achieving WHO’s Maturity Level 4 — the highest global regulatory standard. He emphasized that this achievement complements his Renewed Hope Agenda to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system, highlighting ongoing health sector reforms.
The administration is upgrading over 17,000 primary healthcare centers nationwide to improve healthcare delivery. Efforts are being made to improve maternal care and diagnostics in underserved communities. The administration is training 120,000 frontline health workers to enhance healthcare services. The government is working to double national health insurance coverage within three years.
The President commended NAFDAC’s management and staff for their dedication to safeguarding public health. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s capacity to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicines and vaccines in line with international best practices.
