Regulatory coverage for 240 million Nigerians is at risk, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said. Director-general Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye told Channels Television on Thursday that the agency is chronically understaffed and cannot effectively police products consumed across the country.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC currently employs about 2,000 people, a level she described as inadequate when compared with peers. She noted that Indonesia, with roughly 280 million residents, fields about 20,000 regulatory staff, and used that gap to illustrate how thin NAFDAC’s presence is nationwide.
The director-general was careful to lower expectations for parity with Indonesia, but insisted on a clear minimum. "We are not asking for 20,000. We need at least 5,000 more," she said, stressing that additional personnel would improve inspections and enforcement across states. She added that the agency is "stretched thin" and cannot be physically present everywhere.
Adeyeye also pressed for funding for the Federal Task Force created under the C34 Bill, enacted in 2004, saying the measure has never received financial support. The task force coordinates with 36 state task forces that are expected to back enforcement at the state level, she explained.
The NAFDAC head said the Federal Government has heard the agency’s staffing and resourcing needs, and expressed optimism following discussions with the Minister of Finance. She framed forthcoming support as a necessary step to strengthen nationwide regulation of food and drugs.
The immediate consequence is clear: without a significant hire push and funding for enforcement, NAFDAC’s ability to monitor products for 240 million people will remain constrained. The agency has quantified its shortfall and is awaiting government action to expand staff numbers and fund the federal task force linked to state enforcement operations.
