Nigeria has formally joined the continental framework for strengthening medicines regulation, a move with significant implications for combating counterfeit pharmaceuticals, expanding local manufacturing, and improving access to quality healthcare products.
The Federal Government deposited its instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, becoming the 34th African Union (AU) member state to complete the accession process.
The announcement was made by the AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, during the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week held in Kigali, Rwanda.
Reacting to the development, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, described the ratification as a landmark achievement for public health protection and pharmaceutical industrialization across Africa.
She said Nigeria’s participation would accelerate ongoing efforts to establish a coordinated, harmonised continental regulatory system for medical products and technologies.
Adeyeye, in a statement signed by NAFDAC’s Resident Consultant, Sayo Akintayo, noted that Nigeria’s standing as Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest pharmaceutical markets makes its accession particularly strategic.
According to her, the ratification reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to eliminating substandard and falsified medical products, driving pharmaceutical innovation, scaling domestic manufacturing capacity, and safeguarding public health.
She added that the development will deepen institutional collaboration among NAFDAC, the African Medicines Agency, and peer national regulators through systematic intelligence sharing, scientific cooperation, and regulatory capacity building.
The NAFDAC chief, however, stressed that the treaty’s adoption must translate into tangible outcomes through sustained institutional commitment and rigorous implementation.
She maintained that the ultimate success of the African Medicines Agency depends heavily on the operational maturity and enforcement capacity of national medicines regulatory authorities across the continent.
Adeyeye said the overarching objective remains ensuring that every African has equitable access to safe, efficacious, quality-assured, and affordable medicines.
Describing the ratification as far more than a diplomatic milestone, she noted that it represents a vital investment in Africa’s health security, pharmaceutical sovereignty, and sustainable development.
The inaugural AMA Week, held from October 25 to 30, brought together heads of national medicines regulatory authorities, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and multilateral development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Union.
Nigeria’s formal entry is expected to anchor continental regulatory alignment, with priority now shifting to operational implementation, regional pharmaceutical standardisation, and enhanced supply chain integrity.
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