By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
NIGERIA WILL retain regulatory control over medicines and vaccines supplied under the United States-Nigeria government agreement, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirming that quality assessments and technology-driven distribution tracking will remain in place.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the agency said products manufactured outside the United States (US) would undergo testing to establish their quality, safety and efficacy, while medicines and vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could benefit from faster regulatory processes under NAFDAC’s existing regulatory-reliance framework.
NAFDAC, in a release posted on its X page and dated 20 October, 2026 , stressed that regulatory reliance would not remove its statutory powers to assess applications, inspect products and manufacturing facilities, conduct risk-based testing, release vaccine batches where necessary and monitor products after they enter the Nigerian market.
The clarification follows arrangements to supply Nigeria with US government-supported HIV/AIDS medicines to address a gap created by the exit of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The agency said its oversight responsibilities remained intact under the memorandum of understanding between the Nigerian and US governments.
To illustrate its approach, NAFDAC cited its testing of COVID-19 vaccines supplied to Nigeria during the pandemic. It said the vaccines underwent testing at its Vaccine, Biologics and Medical Devices Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, despite the World Health Organisation having established their safety status.
The agency also disclosed that it conducts annual testing of antiretroviral, tuberculosis and malaria medicines supplied through the Global Fund.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that beyond laboratory assessments, NAFDAC said it would deploy its GS1 technology-driven track-and-trace system to monitor the movement and distribution of medical products supplied under the bilateral agreement.
The system operates through the agency’s Traceability Information System (TIS), which NAFDAC said it used to track COVID-19 vaccines distributed across Nigeria during the pandemic.
According to the agency, the technology now supports monitoring of other vaccines and supply chains for narcotics, maternal health products and newborn commodities.
NAFDAC said it would extend the tracking system to all medical products supplied under the US-Nigeria government agreement to strengthen supply-chain monitoring and trace their distribution within the country.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health while maintaining regulatory oversight of medicines and vaccines entering Nigeria.
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