19 Functions of NAFDAC are listed in this article. NAFDAC is a federal government agency under the Federal Ministry of Health.
Functions and Role of NAFDAC
What are the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC)
The agency is responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water in Nigeria.
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NAFDAC was established by Decree No. 15 of 1993 as amended by Decree No. 19 1999 and is now the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.
The agency was officially established in October 1992. It is currently headed by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye as the director-general.
Prior to the establishment of NAFDAC, the health standard of Nigerians was deteriorating at an exponential rate as illicit and fake pharmaceutical products flooded the market without regulations.
The agency since its inception has been routinely involved in training and retraining all stakeholders to ensure the safe delivery of quality food and pharmaceutical products to the public; the agency is stationed in all 36 states of the federation including the FCT to ensure strict compliance.
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The functions of NAFDAC as listed in Section 5 of the Act, are as follows:
1. Regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals.
2. Conduct appropriate tests and ensure compliance with standard specifications designated and approved by the Council for the effective control of the quality of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, chemicals, and their raw materials as well as the production processes in factories and other establishments.
3. Undertake appropriate investigations into the production premises and raw materials for food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals and establish relevant quality assurance systems, including certificates of the production sites and of the regulated products.
4. Undertake inspection of imported food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals, and establish relevant quality assurance systems, including certification of the production sites and of the regulated products.
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5. Compile standard specifications and guidelines for the production, importation, exportation, sale, and distribution of food, drug, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals.
6. Undertake the registration of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals.
7. Control the exportation and issue of quality certification of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals intended for export.
8. Establish and maintain relevant laboratories or other institutions in strategic areas of Nigeria as may be necessary for the performance of its functions under this Act.
9. Pronounce the quality and safety of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals after appropriate analysis.
10. Undertake measures to ensure that the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is limited to medical and scientific purposes.
11. Grant authorization for the import and export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as well as other controlled substances
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12. Collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in measures to eradicate drug abuse in Nigeria.
13. Advise Federal, State, and local governments, the private sector, and other interested bodies regarding the quality, safety, and regulatory provisions on food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals.
14. Undertake and coordinate research programs on the storage, adulteration, distribution, and rational use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals; Issue guidelines on, approve and monitor the advertisement of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, bottled water, and chemicals.
15. Compile and publish relevant data resulting from the performance of the functions of the Agency under this Act or from other sources.
16. Sponsor such national and international conferences as it may consider appropriate.
17. Liaise with relevant establishments within and outside Nigeria in pursuance of the functions of the Agency.
18. Determine the suitability or otherwise of medicines, drugs, food products, cosmetics, medical devices, or chemicals for human and animal use.
19. Carry out such activities as are necessary for the performance of its functions under this Act.
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The agency is not only at the forefront of the fight for safeguarding public health in Nigeria but its existence has served as machinery to checkmate the introduction of substandard pharmaceutical products into our society thereby reducing the rate of diseases and deaths caused by these illicit products.
NAFDAC’s roles in our today’s world have brought sanity to the food and drugs administration in Nigeria.
