Regulatory reforms by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC) are driving growth in local drug manufacturing and attracting fresh investment into Nigeria’s health products sector, the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said.
Adeyeye spoke at the Invest Nigeria Conference & Expo 4.0, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
She delivered a presentation titled “The Roles of NAFDAC with Regards to Investments in Nigeria”, outlining regulatory changes introduced by the agency and their impact on local manufacturing and investment.
Adeyeye highlighted NAFDAC’s sustained Maturity Level 3 status, describing it as a major factor in strengthening investor confidence in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical regulatory environment.
She also pointed to Nigeria’s full membership of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, attained in November 2025, as another major milestone for the country’s medicines regulatory system.
According to the NAFDAC DG, the agency’s 5+5 Policy and Ceiling List have contributed significantly to the expansion of contract manufacturing and domestic production.
She said the number of companies involved in contract manufacturing rose from 10 in 2019 to 87 in 2025.
Adeyeye also disclosed that 176 facility layout reviews had been approved as of June 2026, while more than 70 per cent of products covered by the two directives were now manufactured locally.
The increase in local production could help Nigeria reduce its dependence on imported finished medicines while creating opportunities for domestic manufacturers to expand their operations.
Adeyeye also reported growing foreign investment in the health-products sector, citing joint ventures and technology-transfer arrangements involving companies from India, South Korea and Turkey.
She said the Presidential Executive Order on Local Production had further reinforced the policy direction supporting domestic manufacturing and investment.
For Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, the combination of regulatory reform, international recognition and investment incentives could create opportunities for expanded manufacturing capacity, technology transfer and skilled employment.
But increased production also requires stronger regulatory oversight to ensure that medicines and other health products remain safe, effective and of acceptable quality.
Adeyeye therefore called for sustained collaboration between NAFDAC, investors, manufacturers and other stakeholders.
She said the agency remained committed to creating a market-friendly regulatory environment that protects public health while enabling investment and expanding Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture quality health products locally.
The development comes as Nigeria seeks to deepen domestic production across strategic sectors and improve the resilience of its health supply chain.
For pharmaceutical investors, the figures presented by NAFDAC suggest that regulatory policy is increasingly being used not only to control the market but also to encourage companies to establish production and partnership arrangements within Nigeria.
