NAFDAC welcomes trade, investors, creates room for pharmaceuticals, food partnership

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that products under its supervision being traded are important for the sustenance of trade relations amongst countries with bilateral agreements

The Director General of the agency, Dr. Mojisola Adeyeye, who spoke at the 2nd Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference, in Lagos, insisted that “Without Quality Trade, the Pakistan-Africa Trade Development will be short lived”.

She assured of the agency’s preparedness to remain open in order to encourage collaboration between Nigeria and Pakistan.

“It has been a wonderful time of exchange of culture and most of us could feel the music and the dance which are universal, it is only the language that is left out of these three events of culture.

“So, this is an important event for Nigeria and Pakistan. When you talk of trade, you also talk of quality, which is where the regulatory agencies come in. Without quality, trade will be short lived.

“What we did in NAFDAC is to create an office of trade and international relations because we do not want to leave trade out of our regulations.

“Regulatory agencies are supposed to be universal in terms of what they expect from their clients or stakeholders like you.

“The mandate of NAFDAC is to control and regulate importation, exportation, manufacture, and distribution.

“Other are advertisements, sales and use of seven regulated products that include drugs, medical devices, diagnostic, vaccines, foods, cosmetics, chemicals, packaged water and beverages,” she stated.

According to Adeyeye, government attaches importance to the exchange of culture and regulatory ideas, explaining that NAFDAC welcomes trade, investors and has created room for partnership in terms of pharmaceuticals and foods.

The agency, Adeyeye stated, has improved its regulatory control over the last four years, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises it because without strong regulatory agency, there cannot be good trade.

“So all our Pakistani friends that are here you are most welcome, and in fact is a reciprocity of culture as our minister said this morning and this is part of what we have to watch tonight, understanding each other and that will foster trade,” the NAFDAC boss added.