The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has called for stronger collaboration among academia, industry, government and regulatory agencies to harness medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry for affordable healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Prof. Adeyeye made the call while speaking as Guest Speaker at the 49th Annual International Conference of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), held in Abuja.
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The conference was themed, “Innovations in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry for Affordable Healthcare Delivery.”
The NAFDAC DG highlighted the importance of innovation in addressing challenges related to access, affordability and local pharmaceutical production, noting that stronger partnerships were required to translate scientific research into practical healthcare solutions.
She said NAFDAC was strengthening regulatory science, digitalising regulatory processes and accelerating registration pathways for priority medicines as part of efforts to improve access to quality healthcare products.
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Prof. Adeyeye also highlighted the Agency’s efforts to promote local pharmaceutical manufacturing and enhance pharmaceutical traceability to strengthen the country’s medicine supply chain.
She stressed the need to bridge the gap between research and commercialisation through stronger industry-academia partnerships and early engagement with regulatory authorities.
According to her, closer collaboration among stakeholders would help researchers and manufacturers better understand regulatory requirements and facilitate the development and availability of safe, effective and affordable medicines.
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She, however, emphasised that innovation and faster access must be pursued alongside strict adherence to standards of quality, safety and efficacy.
Prof. Adeyeye urged stakeholders in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors to deepen collaboration and develop innovative solutions capable of supporting Nigeria’s healthcare needs and strengthening local pharmaceutical production.