NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye has dismissed calls for her resignation amid renewed concerns over counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria, saying her record at the agency speaks for itself.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has laughed off calls for her resignation amid growing concerns over the circulation of fake and substandard products in the country.
Adeyeye spoke during an engagement with journalists in Lagos on Monday, September 7, after she was asked if she would consider stepping down amid the criticism.
The question drew laughter from the NAFDAC chief, who then defended her nine-year tenure and the work carried out by the agency under her leadership.
Adeyeye said she returned to Nigeria after spending decades in the United States because she wanted to serve the country.
She also challenged anyone who had accused her of demanding money from contractors to come forward with evidence.
“I came here to serve,” she said, explaining that she returned because she was concerned about the state of the country and wanted to help improve NAFDAC.
Her comments come at a time when concerns over fake and substandard products remain high.
The circulation of counterfeit medicines and other regulated products has continued to raise questions about the ability of regulatory agencies to keep them out of the market.
NAFDAC has, however, pointed to its enforcement efforts. The agency said it had destroyed or seized fake and substandard products worth more than ₦1.5 trillion since 2023, following operations carried out across the country.
Adeyeye also spoke about the condition of the agency when she took over in 2017.
According to her, NAFDAC had about ₦3.2 billion in liabilities, while some of its laboratory equipment was in poor condition.
She said her administration had since worked to clear the liabilities and strengthen the agency’s regulatory capacity.
The NAFDAC boss also pointed to the agency’s achievement of maturity level three in 2022 and its membership of international regulatory bodies as signs of progress under her leadership.
Despite the criticism, Adeyeye maintained that NAFDAC’s focus remains the protection of Nigerians and the strengthening of the country’s regulatory system.
Returning to the question of her resignation, she said: “So that question, ‘when are you going to resign?’ I hope you got the answer?”
