By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
PRESIDENT BOLA Tinubu has congratulated the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for retaining the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status for the regulation of medicines and vaccines.
According to the Presidency, the global health regulatory body conducted a re-benchmarking exercise from 28 to 30 May 2025, measuring NAFDAC’s performance against internationally recognised regulatory standards.
The agency first attained ML3 status in 2022, becoming Africa’s first National Regulatory Authority to achieve the milestone for medicines and vaccines regulation in the non-producing category.
The WHO policy requires periodic reviews to ensure sustained compliance.
The latest evaluation followed a formal re-benchmarking in November 2024 and five Institutional Development Plan review meetings between February and April 2025 to assess progress on corrective actions.
The WHO verdict, as welcomed by the President, stated that 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.”
President Tinubu commended NAFDAC’s management and staff for professionalism, consistency, and dedication to safeguarding public health.
He noted that the achievement strengthens Nigeria’s standing as a reliable partner in global health security and pandemic preparedness.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to enhancing regulatory capacity, the President said the milestone aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He highlighted ongoing government initiatives to upgrade over 17,000 primary health centres, improve maternal care and diagnostics in underserved communities, train 120,000 frontline health workers, and double national health insurance coverage within three years.
The President stated that promoting local production of healthcare products remains a priority, pledging sustained collaboration with credible partners, development agencies, and donor organisations to grow the pharmaceutical sector, attract health industry investment, and expand local manufacturing capacity.
He assured continued support for NAFDAC in its pursuit of WHO’s Maturity Level 4, the highest standard of global regulatory excellence.
