President Bola Tinubu has commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for maintaining its World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) rating for medicines and vaccines regulation in non-producing countries.
This recognition comes after a WHO re-benchmarking exercise held from May 28 to May 30, 2025, which assessed NAFDAC’s compliance with global regulatory standards. NAFDAC had originally achieved the ML3 ranking in 2022, becoming the first African regulatory agency to secure it in this category.
The 2025 confirmation followed a detailed re-benchmarking in November 2024 and five follow-up Institutional Development Plan (IDP) review sessions between February and April this year, aimed at monitoring and strengthening regulatory measures.
According to WHO’s evaluation, “NAFDAC has successfully maintained a regulatory system that operates as a stable, well-functioning, and integrated framework for regulating medicines and vaccines (non-producing). This achievement results from investment by the Government of Nigeria in strengthening the regulatory system.”
In a statement issued through his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President hailed NAFDAC’s management and employees for their “professionalism and consistency,” noting that the global endorsement elevates “Nigeria’s credibility in health security and pandemic preparedness.”
Tinubu also reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicines and vaccines, in line with world-class best practices, adding that this achievement aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system.
He highlighted major reforms underway, such as the renovation of over 17,000 primary healthcare centres nationwide, maternal care improvements in rural areas, enhanced diagnostics, training of 120,000 health workers, and plans to double health insurance coverage in the next three years.
The President further pledged to collaborate with development agencies, donor organisations, and reputable partners to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, attract investment, and expand local production capabilities.
Tinubu concluded by affirming that NAFDAC has his administration’s full backing in its pursuit of WHO Maturity Level 4 — the highest possible regulatory benchmark.