and pharmaceutical development in Africa — NAFDAC DG

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has finally deposited its instrument of ratification of the AMA Treaty as the 34th Member state of the African Union. This represents a historic milestone in the advancement of medicines regulation and public health across the African continent.

This was announced at the on-going Inaugural African Medicines Agency (AMA) Week taking place in Kigali, Rwanda from Sunday 25th to Friday 30th of October 2026 by the Her Excellency Commissioner of Health and Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development of the African Union, Amb A. Twum-Amoah.

The AMA week conference anchored by the Director General, Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, the Governing Board, representative of the Conference of State Parties and AU Special Envoy.

It is being attended by medicine regulatory agencies across the continent, Regional Economic Communities representatives, important dignitaries within the global health ecosystem including WHO and the European Union development and international partners Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director General (DG) of NAFDAC is in attendance as well as Director of Central Drug Control Laboratory, and the Special Assistant to the DG.

As Africa's most populous nation and one of its largest pharmaceutical markets, the NAFDAC boss explained that Nigeria's participation strengthens the collective resolve of African countries to establish a more coordinated, effective and harmonised regulatory environment for medicines and other medical products.

According to the DG–NAFDAC, this important development reinforces Nigeria's commitment to safeguarding public health, combating substandard and falsified medical products, promoting pharmaceutical innovation, and advancing local manufacturing as a cornerstone of health security and economic development.

Prof Adeyeye stated that it also provides an opportunity to deepen collaboration between Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the African Medicines Agency, and other national and regional regulatory institutions in pursuit of shared continental health objectives.

She maintained that Nigeria's participation should now be translated into practical action through sustained institutional collaboration, regulatory capacity development, information sharing, scientific cooperation and the effective implementation of the AMA Treaty.

Ultimately, she noted that the success of the African Medicines Agency will be measured by its contribution to ensuring that every African has access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines. This will be driven through the maturity of the different National Regulatory Agencies. The DG added that Nigeria's ratification is therefore not merely a diplomatic or legal achievement; “it is a significant investment in Africa's health security, pharmaceutical sovereignty and sustainable development.”