NAFDAC DG: I returned from US to remove Nigeria’s shame

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Adeyeye

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‘I retired happily but came back to serve Nigeria’

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ABUJA — Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has rejected calls for her resignation, saying she returned to Nigeria after 34 years in the United States to help restore the country’s battered image.

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Adeyeye, who spoke against the backdrop of mounting criticisms of the agency, said she had no regrets returning home after retiring happily from her academic career in the US.

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She said: “I lived in the US for 34 years. I was a professor for 30 years in an all-white school. I retired happily. I came here to serve, but some Nigerians have an aversion to service.

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“It is for what can I get! We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what can I get’! We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what is in it for my pocket?’”

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The NAFDAC boss, who challenged anyone accusing her of demanding money from contractors to come forward with evidence, said her decision to return was driven by a desire to contribute to the country.

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“Any contractor that I have demanded money from should come here and tell me! I came here for service. I retired happily. I was ashamed of my country! I came to remove some of the shame. And the world is seeing it! The world is seeing it!” she said.

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Adeyeye also highlighted the financial and operational challenges she inherited when she assumed office in 2017, including about N3.2 billion in liabilities.

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According to her, between 70 and 80 per cent of NAFDAC’s laboratory equipment was not functioning at the time, while the agency’s information and communications technology infrastructure was also inadequate.

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She said that by November 2018, about N3.1 billion of the inherited liabilities had been paid.

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Adeyeye further said the agency had recorded significant progress in its regulatory capacity, moving from maturity level one to level three by March 2022, making it the third agency in Africa to attain the level.

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She added that NAFDAC became an affiliate member of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum in 2023 and joined the International Council for Harmonisation in 2025.

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According to her, the developments have helped improve the agency’s international standing after years of being criticised as a “good-for-nothing agency.”

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Adeyeye said the progress recorded under her leadership was evidence that NAFDAC could meet international regulatory standards when properly repositioned.

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Her comments came amid calls in some quarters for her resignation, as the agency faces scrutiny over its handling of counterfeit and substandard products, as well as controversial regulatory decisions.

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Adeyeye, however, maintained that she remained committed to the agency’s mandate and would continue to pursue reforms aimed at protecting Nigerians and improving NAFDAC’s global reputation.

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