President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on maintaining its World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) ranking for the regulation of medicines and vaccines in non-producing countries.
The commendation followed WHO’s confirmation after a re-benchmarking exercise carried out between May 28 and May 30, 2025, during which the agency’s regulatory performance was assessed against global best practices.
NAFDAC first attained the milestone in 2022, becoming the pioneer national regulatory body in Africa to achieve ML3 for medicines and vaccines regulation in countries without significant manufacturing capacity. The latest validation came after a November 2024 re-benchmarking session and five Institutional Development Plan (IDP) review meetings held between February and April 2025 to track corrective measures.
According to WHO’s verdict, “NAFDAC has successfully maintained a regulatory system that operates as a stable, well-functioning, and integrated framework for regulating medicines and vaccines (non-producing). This achievement results from investment by the Government of Nigeria in strengthening the regulatory system.”
In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised NAFDAC’s management and workforce for their “professionalism and consistency.” He emphasised that the accomplishment would further enhance “Nigeria’s credibility in global health security and pandemic preparedness.”
Reaffirming his administration’s pledge, the President said: “We will continue to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicines and vaccines in line with international best practices. This milestone complements our Renewed Hope Agenda to transform the healthcare system.”
Highlighting ongoing reforms in the health sector, Tinubu noted that the government is upgrading over 17,000 primary healthcare centres nationwide, improving maternal healthcare and diagnostics in underserved communities, training 120,000 frontline health workers, and working to double national health insurance coverage within three years.
He further vowed to maintain partnerships with credible stakeholders, donor organisations, and development agencies to promote the pharmaceutical sector, boost health-related investments, and grow local manufacturing capabilities.
Tinubu concluded by assuring that Nigeria would continue to back NAFDAC’s drive towards achieving WHO Maturity Level 4 — the highest possible regulatory status globally.
okay.ng reports that the President’s message underlines Nigeria’s sustained ambition to position itself as a leading force in Africa’s healthcare regulatory space.
