Bukola Afeni
In a major push to strengthen Nigeria’s public health system, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has unveiled three key initiatives aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality, combating malnutrition, and eliminating substandard and falsified medical products across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the launch as “a defining moment in our collective effort to advance public health”.
Highlighting the introduction of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative, the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027).
According to Adeyeye, these initiatives are interlinked pillars designed to protect the most vulnerable groups particularly women and children while ensuring that every medical product and nutrition intervention in Nigeria is safe, effective, and of assured quality.
Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), NAFDAC plans to champion safe motherhood, promote rational medicine use, encourage breastfeeding, and curb harmful practices such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetic products. The office will also support local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products in collaboration with relevant ministries, NGOs, and private sector partners.
The MNCH+N Initiative will address malnutrition and maternal and child mortality by strengthening the regulation of life-saving nutrition commodities and promoting breastfeeding-friendly policies. NAFDAC is also working closely with global partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to reinforce regulatory and production systems for sustainable impact.
In addition, the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027) provides a coordinated framework to protect citizens from unsafe medicines. Through prevention, detection, and response mechanisms, the plan mobilizes national and international stakeholders to build a resilient supply chain and promote accountability across the healthcare ecosystem.
These combined efforts, Adeyeye said, reflect NAFDAC’s vision of “a future where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products.” She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that access to safe medicines, adequate nutrition, and quality healthcare is not a privilege but a right for every Nigerian.
