The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has taken a major step to strengthen its regulatory operations by unveiling 73 new operational vehicles, as part of a broader effort to enhance staff welfare and boost efficiency in combating counterfeit products.
The initiative, led by the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reflects a growing focus on logistics improvements to support NAFDAC’s mission.
The fleet includes 43 Hilux vans dedicated to the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Apapa, Lagos, 20 Toyota Camry saloon cars for directors in Abuja, and 10 large staff buses inaugurated in Lagos to provide convenient transportation for workers.
The agency announced this through a statement on its official X handle, where Prof. Adeyeye highlighted the operational advantages. She noted that the vehicles would greatly enhance the agency’s capacity to conduct regulatory inspections, investigations, and enforcement activities, which account for 70% of NAFDAC’s workload. “When staff of a regulatory body have to rely on their clients for transportation to inspection sites, the integrity of the exercise is compromised from the start,” Adeyeye said, reflecting on previous difficulties.
NAFDAC has faced significant logistical constraints in recent years, but this new development marks a clear shift. Staff have praised the initiative, with some, like Mr. Emmanuel Nwogu, expressing that such measures are unprecedented in his two decades with the agency. “With the provision of buses for staff transportation, there would be no excuse for lateness,” he added.
The vehicles are part of a broader effort to reform NAFDAC under Prof. Adeyeye’s leadership. Since assuming office, she has made fiscal responsibility a priority, citing the payment of a N3.2 billion debt within her first year as a critical turning point for the agency. “The money we saved is the money we use for what we need, not what we want,” she stressed.
Prof. Adeyeye also addressed recent worker grievances, including strikes over promotions and allowances, stating that the agency is in full compliance with regulations and committed to staff welfare.
This logistical upgrade represents not just improved operational capacity but also a renewed commitment to staff, as NAFDAC positions itself to tackle the ongoing battle against counterfeit drugs and unsafe food products in Nigeria.
