Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced a landmark achievement with the World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualification of AFRI Medical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited’s 0.5ml auto-disabled syringes.
This marks the first time a Nigerian company—and indeed the first in West and Central Africa—has earned such certification for syringes.
At a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, hailed the accomplishment as a testament to the agency’s successful strategies promoting local production of high-quality medical products.
“This feat was not achieved overnight,” Adeyeye stated. “It is the result of a rigorous process, heavy investment by AFRI Medical, and consistent guidance and support from NAFDAC.”
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized that the WHO pre-qualification now enables AFRI Medical to export its syringes globally, thereby enhancing Nigeria’s footprint in the international medical device market.
She linked the milestone to the Federal Government’s industrialization agenda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy to bolster the domestic economy through local manufacturing.
“In keeping with our vision to be a world-class regulator, NAFDAC has embraced global best practices in ensuring that only quality and safe regulated products are imported, exported, manufactured, distributed, sold, and used,” she added.
The Director General further encouraged local manufacturers to intensify efforts to meet global standards, highlighting NAFDAC’s ongoing initiatives such as the “5+5” regulatory directive aimed at reducing import dependence.
The journey to this achievement was driven by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability due to reliance on imported medical devices.
“We discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic how fragile our reliance on imported medical devices can be,” Adeyeye explained. Following evaluations of locally manufactured syringes that revealed mixed quality results,
NAFDAC launched a “hand-holding” initiative to guide manufacturers toward international compliance through unannounced inspections and technical support.
“The results of these evaluations were shared with manufacturers. With our continued collaboration, we have seen improvements, and today, AFRI Medical is the shining example of what is possible,” she said.
At the event, AFRI Medical’s General Manager, Mr. Gabi Al-Aridi, described the WHO pre-qualification as a “milestone achievement,” noting that it allows the company to supply syringes to international organizations including UNICEF.
“This means that AFRI Medical Nigeria can now export syringes with the highest level of WHO certification, as well as ISO and market clearance certifications,” he remarked.
Former NAFDAC Director and current AFRI Medical staff member, Mr. Sheriff Olagunju, praised the partnership between NAFDAC and AFRI Medical, calling the certification “proof of AFRI Medical’s competence and commitment to global standards.”
Prof. Adeyeye closed by urging other manufacturers to leverage NAFDAC’s regulatory support: “We are open to working with any local manufacturer committed to compliance and excellence.”
