The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for stronger cooperation among African food regulators to address cross-border food safety threats and support safer intra-African trade.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, made the call at the Third African Food Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFRAF), held in Cairo, Egypt.
Adeyeye led a five-member Nigerian delegation to the three-day forum, hosted by the National Food Safety Authority of Egypt in partnership with Africa’s Regional Economic Communities, African food competent authorities and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
The forum, organised by the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS) under the theme, “Advancing Africa’s Integrated Food Regulatory Future,” brought together heads of food regulatory authorities, Regional Economic Communities, Codex contact points, development partners and representatives of the private sector.
Discussions focused on regional sanitary and phytosanitary coordination, risk-based regulation, food innovation, laboratory capacity, risk analysis and engagement with the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The meeting was also expected to generate regulator-led recommendations to support the Food Safety Strategy for Africa and the operationalisation of the proposed Africa Food Safety Agency.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Adeyeye said food safety challenges could no longer be effectively addressed within national borders because of interconnected food systems, food fraud, climate-related risks, technological changes and expanding intra-African trade.
“Regulators must move beyond working alongside one another to working with one another,” she said, adding that Nigeria was ready to work with African regulators, the African Union Commission and development partners to strengthen food regulatory systems across the continent.
She called for science-based, risk-based and transparent regulatory systems backed by increased investment in regulatory capacity, laboratory infrastructure, digital technologies, human resources and surveillance.
Adeyeye also advocated regulatory convergence through timely information sharing, mutual learning, stronger analytical capacity and strategic harmonisation of requirements.
At the forum, NAFDAC presented Nigeria’s approach to food safety regulation, highlighting its shift from routine control to risk-based regulation and greater emphasis on prevention through Good Hygiene Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point systems.
The agency also highlighted its use of laboratory, surveillance and complaint data as regulatory intelligence, as well as its capacity for traceability, product recall and enforcement.
NAFDAC further showcased its digital platforms, including NAPAMS, PIDCARMS and LIMS, and outlined its preparedness for emerging threats linked to climate variability, food fraud and antimicrobial resistance.
The agency said regulatory cooperation and reliance would be critical to ensuring safe intra-African trade, under its vision of “Safe Food. Resilient Food Systems. Healthier Nigerians.”
Adeyeye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to contributing its regulatory experience, technical expertise and institutional capacity to the continent’s food safety agenda.
She pledged that NAFDAC would continue working with fellow African regulators, the African Union Commission and development partners on practical initiatives aimed at strengthening food regulatory systems across Africa.
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