By| Goodluck E.Adubazi | Abuja
In a major push to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have announced plans to deepen collaboration aimed at improving Nigerians’ access to safe and effective medicines.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while hosting her NHIA counterpart, Kelechi Ohiri, during a high-level courtesy visit.
Adeyeye emphasized the need for stricter oversight in the procurement of medicines, calling for the active involvement of both NAFDAC and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria. She noted that such measures are essential to eliminate counterfeit and expired drugs from circulation and ensure that only high-quality medicines reach patients.
She reiterated the critical regulatory responsibilities of both agencies, including enforcing compliance, penalizing offenders, revoking licenses, and shutting down pharmaceutical firms that fail to meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
The NAFDAC chief also raised concerns over the difficulties many Nigerians encounter in accessing healthcare services under the NHIA scheme, describing patient experiences as often challenging and, in some cases, distressing.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment, Adeyeye pledged sustained collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve the availability of quality medicines and ease the burden on citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his response, Ohiri commended Adeyeye’s leadership in safeguarding public health and stressed that effective healthcare delivery depends on strong coordination between regulators and service providers.
He explained that the visit was aimed at reviewing the existing Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies, strengthening institutional ties, and advancing reforms to improve healthcare access and the national medicines supply chain.
Ohiri also highlighted the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund as a key driver in expanding health insurance coverage and addressing citizens’ concerns, expressing confidence that ongoing reforms within NHIA would significantly improve service delivery across the country.
