By ADEROGBA GEORGE

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially recertified the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Maturity Level 3 (ML3) for drug and food regulation.

Alongside NAFDAC, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has also been recertified, reinforcing Nigeria?s continued commitment to meeting international standards in health product regulation.

The announcement was made on Tuesday at a joint press conference in Abuja.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the reaffirmation by the WHO for the regulation of medicines and vaccines took effect on June 30.

According to her, this followed a formal re-benchmarking exercise conducted in Abuja and Lagos from Nov. 25 to 29, 2024, where WHO officials evaluated Nigeria?s regulatory systems and progress.

She said during the visit, WHO officials assessed progress based on five follow-up Institutional Development Plans (IDPs), reviewing key recommendations that had to be met to complete the re-benchmarking.

Adeyeye noted that the successful closure of all critical recommendations marked a major regulatory milestone, confirming that Nigeria operated a stable, well-functioning, and integrated system.

She added that NAFDAC and PCN remained the first National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in Africa to maintain WHO?s ML3 status, a recognition that underscored their leadership and technical excellence.

According to her, ML3 includes around 260 sub-indicators and more than 800 recommendations, including compulsory audits to ensure ongoing compliance.

Adeyeye also revealed that the agency was working toward attaining Maturity Level 4 (ML4), which required meeting 57 indicators, 27 of which had already been completed.

She emphasised that achieving ML4 would significantly boost Nigeria?s image and economic standing.

Speaking at the event, the Registrar and CEO of PCN, Mr Ibrahim Ahmed, expressed satisfaction with the rigorous re-benchmarking process.

He described the journey as tedious, with laws and regulatory guidelines critically evaluated.

Ahmed highlighted that the achievement reflected the agencies? strong commitment to global best practices.

?What we are doing is a hallmark of responsibility. NAFDAC and PCN play a critical role in pharmaceutical regulation,? he said.

He also pointed out that facility licensing was key to achieving ML4 and confirmed ongoing efforts to upgrade internal systems and operations. (NAN)

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