The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has called on pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria to channel investments into human vaccine production to better prepare the country for future pandemics.
Speaking in Abuja, Prof. Adeyeye warned that Nigeria cannot afford to wait for another global health crisis before acting.
She recalled the nation’s heavy dependence on international donors during the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed the need for self-reliance.
She noted that NAFDAC has since restructured its internal processes to enhance transparency and operational efficiency, including the creation of a dedicated directorate for vaccines, biologics, and medical devices in November 2024, in line with international best practices.
Highlighting the agency’s progress, Prof. Adeyeye pointed out that NAFDAC attained the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 in 2022 for medicines and imported vaccines—an essential milestone for countries aiming to produce WHO-prequalified vaccines. She added that efforts are ongoing to achieve ML3 certification for locally manufactured vaccines.
She also emphasized that NAFDAC stands out as the only regulatory body in sub-Saharan Africa with an in-house laboratory dedicated to vaccines, biologics, and medical devices. Unlike South Africa, which relies on outsourced facilities, she noted that NAFDAC has met most WHO indicators for vaccine lot release, but requires active local production to complete the process.
Prof. Adeyeye expressed confidence that local vaccine production will commence before the end of her tenure. She underscored the need for Nigeria to move away from dependence on foreign countries for critical medical supplies, adding that the country has capable scientists and a policy environment conducive to local manufacturing, particularly under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a similar vein, Mrs. Khadijah Ade-Abolade, Director of Vaccines, Biologics, and Medical Devices Registration and Regulatory Affairs, affirmed that the federal government has put in place policies and support mechanisms to facilitate the launch of local vaccine production. She confirmed that NAFDAC’s regulatory infrastructure—including systems for market authorisation, inspections, clinical trial oversight, and post-market surveillance—is fully operational and ready to support manufacturers as soon as production begins.
Prof. Adeyeye concluded by stating that Nigeria is ready to begin with “Fill and Finish” vaccine production, as a stepping stone to full-scale local manufacturing. She urged private sector players to seize the opportunity to contribute to the country’s health security and reduce reliance on external sources for vaccines.
