The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a Nigerian federal body formed in 1993 to safeguard public health.
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NAFDAC’s primary role is to ensure that foods, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, and bottled water in Nigeria are safe and meet quality standards.
The agency oversees the production, import, export, promotion, and distribution of these products to maintain safety and compliance.
NAFDAC carries out inspections, product testing, and certifications to verify that items meet health and safety requirements. It also combats counterfeit drugs and educates the public on safe health practices.
Since its inception, NAFDAC has been guided by various Directors-General who have shaped its mission. Below is a list of all NAFDAC Directors-General from 1993 to the present:
| Name | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide | Director-General | 1994 – 2000 |
| Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili | Director-General | 2001 – 2008 |
| Dr. Paul Baba Orhii | Director-General | 2009 – 2016 |
| Mrs. Yetunde Oni | Acting Director-General | 2016 – 2017 |
| Mr. Ademola Andrew Magbojuri | Acting Director-General | 2017 (briefly) |
| Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye | Director-General | 2017 – Present |
Who Was NAFDAC’s First Director-General?
Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide served as the inaugural Director-General of NAFDAC from 1994 to 2000, laying the foundation for the agency’s mission.
Born on March 15, 1935, Osuide was a distinguished pharmaceutical scholar and a prominent figure in Nigeria’s academic community.
He earned a First Class Honours degree in Pharmacology from the University of London in 1963 and later completed a PhD in the same field.
Before leading NAFDAC, Osuide headed the Food and Drugs Administration and Control Department at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health.
He played a key role in establishing the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and held various leadership roles, including Dean, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Acting Vice-Chancellor.
As NAFDAC’s first Director-General, Osuide focused on ensuring the safety of food and drugs across Nigeria, setting a strong precedent for future leaders.
Osuide’s legacy includes mentoring notable pharmacists, such as former Taraba State Governor, Pharm. Danbaba Suntai, and Niger State’s Deputy Governor, Dr. S. Z. Nuhu.
Who Was the First Woman to Lead NAFDAC?
Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili was NAFDAC’s second Director-General and the first woman in this role, serving from 2001 to 2008.
Born on July 14, 1954, in Makurdi, Benue State, Akunyili studied Pharmacology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduating in 1978, and earned a PhD in Ethno-Pharmacology in 1985.
Before NAFDAC, she was a senior lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and served as zonal secretary for the Petroleum Special Trust Fund.
Akunyili’s tenure was transformative, with a fierce campaign against counterfeit drugs, reducing their prevalence from over 50% to 16.7% in Nigeria.
Her efforts earned her global recognition, including the 2005 Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award. Later, she served as Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Communication (2008–2010) and ran for a Senate seat in Anambra State.
Tragically, Akunyili passed away on June 7, 2014, after battling cancer, but her legacy in public health endures.
Who Is NAFDAC’s Current Director-General?
Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye is the current Director-General of NAFDAC, appointed in November 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed in December 2022.
Adeyeye, the sixth Director-General, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutics from the University of Nigeria (1976) and a Master’s and PhD from the University of Georgia, USA (1985, 1988).
With over 21 years of teaching at Duquesne University, USA, and as Founding Chair of Biopharmaceutical Sciences at Roosevelt University, Chicago, Adeyeye brought extensive expertise to NAFDAC.
Her leadership has modernized NAFDAC through structural reforms, updated regulations, and a push for local drug manufacturing. Under her, NAFDAC earned ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2019 and WHO Maturity Level 3 in 2022.
Adeyeye introduced digital tools to streamline product registration and documentation, making processes more accessible to the public.
She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the first African woman to achieve the latter.
Globally, Adeyeye chairs the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee and the WHO Global Pediatric Regulatory Network, contributing to international health initiatives.
