NIGERIA: Tinubu Congratulates NAFDAC on Retaining WHO Maturity Level 3 Status for Medicine and Vaccine Regulation

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

President Bola Tinubu has extended congratulations to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for retaining the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status in the regulation of medicines and vaccines.

This was contained in a press release signed by the Special Adviser to the President in Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Monday.

According to the statement, the WHO conducted a re-benchmarking exercise from May 28 to May 30, 2025, evaluating NAFDAC’s performance against internationally recognized regulatory standards.

NAFDAC first achieved the ML3 status in 2022, marking a significant milestone as Africa’s first National Regulatory Authority to attain this level in the regulation of non-producing medicines and vaccines. In line with WHO policies, periodic reviews are conducted to assess sustained compliance.

This latest evaluation followed a formal re-benchmarking in November 2024 and multiple review meetings from February to April 2025 to gauge progress on corrective actions.

In response to the WHO’s assessment, President Tinubu expressed his satisfaction with NAFDAC’s continued success.

He stated: ” NAFDAC has successfully maintained a regulatory system that operates as a stable, well-functioning, and integrated framework for regulating medicines and vaccines.”

He attributed this achievement to significant investments by the Nigerian government in strengthening the regulatory system.

The President also commended NAFDAC’s leadership, management, and staff for their professionalism and consistency in safeguarding public health, reinforcing Nigeria’s status as a reliable partner in global health security and pandemic preparedness.

In his statement, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure, highlighting ongoing initiatives aimed at upgrading over 17,000 primary health centres, improving maternal care and diagnostics in underserved regions, training 120,000 frontline health workers, and expanding health insurance coverage within three years.

He also emphasized the government’s focus on promoting local production of healthcare products and ensuring Nigeria’s continued collaboration with credible partners, development agencies, and donor organizations to boost the pharmaceutical sector and attract investment in health-related industries.

Looking ahead, President Tinubu assured that his administration would continue to support NAFDAC in its journey toward achieving the WHO’s Maturity Level 4, the highest global standard of regulatory excellence.