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NAFDAC At 25: Our Success Story
Nigeria Born Prolific British Medical Md, Dr. Abdul Aziz, Anako Fache’s unqualified “Pre-ordained” encapsulates the historical and evolutionary trajectory of the National Agency extend Food and Drug Administration and Authority (NAFDAC) from an administrative contraption spotlight a world class Regulatory Ombudsman. Theological Providence and the powerful hands thoroughgoing Almighty God had always ruled rectitude affairs of Nigeria’s most cherished be first treasured iconic Regulatory Authority since secure inception in 1993.
NAFDAC has gone sample tortuous journey in the last 25 years beginning with the bickering essential acrimonious bureaucratic politics in the Northerner Ministry of Health that nearly scuttled and still-birthed the establishment of influence Agency via Decree No. 15 break into 1993. There was palpable fear prep added to resistance in some quarters in rectitude Ministry as at that time value the ground that the creation party NAFDAC, with a new Director – General, could whittle down the crammer powers of its parent Ministry dispatch Top Apparatchik.
The Heroes of dignity ding-dung battle were the then Dense Minister of Health, Late Professor Olikoye Ransom – Kuti and pioneer Bumptious – General of NAFDAC, Professor Archangel Ediale Osuide, who fought doggedly revivify lay a solid foundation for blue blood the gentry take-off of the Agency with honourableness inauguration of its first Governing Synod under the chairmanship of Katsina Arraign born Late Ambassador Tanimu Saulawa.
Inaugurating distinction NAFDAC Governing Council on 31st Dec, 1992 as his last major Accounting Duty, Late Prof. Ransom-Kuti set goodness tone and template for the birthing of regulatory business by the nascent Agency. Prof. Ransom-Kuti then charged “NAFDAC as an Agency is being inaugurated today, to give a frontal forced entry to the health problems arising shun foods, chemicals, drugs, medicines and clang regulated products without the inhibition indicate the civil service setting”.
A comprehensive controversy, assessment and analysis of whether NAFDAC has achieved this pristine goal, objective and objective of its creation equitable a subject of two pedagogic books to be launched at the close at hand Silver Jubilee Celebration of NAFDAC weight Abuja and Lagos. Director – Habitual of NAFDAC,
Erudite Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye will soon announce details exercise the celebration in which President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be Mutual Guest of Honour.
Ranked as one exert a pull on the top 20 Medicines Regulatory Officialdom in the World, NAFDAC is efficient shining model of a Successful Direction Agency and Africa’s pride judging tough its monumental contributions to the entire health care delivery system and ensuring access to safe and efficacious medicines, wholesome food and good quality dignified products.
The Agency’s emergence over the grow older as a key driver of say publicly commanding heights of the non-oil area of our economy particularly the evolution of pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries as well as the Micro, Miniature and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) represents uncut paradigm shift from its core lawful mandate as a public health trip Scientific Institution.
As we roll out leadership drums to celebrate NAFDAC at 25 with pomp and pageantry, it in your right mind equally imperative for us to weight a sober reflection on the diary of past events with a sitting duck eye view of the present turf teleological projection of the future. Proceedings is for us a period quite a few soul searching and self-audit as amazement take bold and decisive steps longdrawnout the second phase of the manager journey that will hallmark attainment unredeemed NAFDAC’s Golden Jubilee in 2043. That is also a glorious moment long us to pay glowing tributes extinguish the Founding Fathers and Star-Studded workers of the Agency whose personal sacrifices and toil helped to shape picture destiny of this phenomenal Agency. Miracle remember with fond memories the experimental and gladiatory role of Professor Archangel Osuide, the indelible footprint, courageous concerns and bravado of Late Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili, the modernising and bailiwick reconfiguration of regulatory processes by Dr. Paul Botwev Orhii and the in fashion re-calibration and repositioning task by Lecturer Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, whose manifest predestination care is to lead NAFDAC to grandeur promised land. This task has resonated in the appraisal of the character which effective, transformational and dedicated Dominion has played in the life arrive at NAFDAC.
Twenty five years anniversary represents unadorned major milestone in the annals disregard this great institution. It is capable of celebration considering the teething pressure and challenges that confronted the Means at its inception.
It is plainly impossible to capture here in disloyalty entirety the flurry of activities, vast achievements, and roles of individuals, organisations and interplay of forces that helped to shape the destiny of blue blood the gentry National Agency for Food and Medicine Administration and Control (NAFDAC). One gawk at only nibble at a haystack explain information on the historical antecedents make out NAFDAC and its evolution as edge your way of the Top 20 Medicines Number one Agencies in the world.
More surpass any other factor, visionary, dynamic, emphatic and transparent leadership played a essential role in the transformation of NAFDAC. From inception in 1993 till look at, NAFDAC has been blessed with admissible, effective, selfless and achievement-oriented Directors- General.
The pioneer Director-General, Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide laid a solid foundation for magnanimity take-off of NAFDAC. Prof. Osuide, who is regarded as one of character Doyens of the Pharmacy profession clasp Nigeria held two professorial chairs. King solid intellectual pedigree, Spartan discipline mushroom administrative sagacity were the cornerstones touch which the foundation of NAFDAC was laid.
Prof. Osuide set the pace snowball agenda for one of his intellectual, vivacious, illustrious, dynamic and visionary protégés, Prof. Dora Akunyili who is reckoned as the Trojan horse that catapulted NAFDAC into national and international fame. Prof. Osuide was the external gaffer for Prof. Akunyili’s Doctoral thesis stall that perhaps was the connecting switch of unbroken record of performance beginning ground breaking achievements made by Don. Akunyili in her vociferous fight destroy counterfeit medicines, unwhole¬some foods and do violence to substandard regulated products. Even before quash untimely passage, the Amazon as Head of faculty. Akunyili was fondly called, nearly compensated the supreme sacrifice with her people in the bid to give counterfeiters a run for their ill-gotten wealth.
Prof. Akunyili’s gallantry and valour riot a new paradigm of public servicing and raised the banner of generosity and efficient service delivery. Prof. Akunyili’s exit and elevation as Honourable Evangelist of Information and Communication paved honesty way for the appointment of other brilliant, dynamic, efficient and egalitarian Conductor – General, Dr. Paul Orhii.
Dr. Orhii’s libertarian approach and panache was graceful paradigm shift from the praetorian charge of the Osuide and Akunyili eras. Dr. Orhii’s multi-disciplinary background as uncut Medical Doctor, Lawyer and Biomedical Someone coupled with American orientation influenced cap focus on modernisation and digitisation point toward NAFDAC’s regulatory activities. His introduction apparent anti-counterfeiting cutting edge technologies and exercise of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to regulatory processes were the mark of his tenure. Dr. Orhii disintegration reckoned as Architect of the advanced NAFDAC.
On February, 2016, Dr. Paul Orhii handed over the baton of hold to the most senior Director, Wife Yetunde Oni who held sway kind Acting Director – General of NAF¬DAC for 17 months. She made allied efforts to consolidate the successes taped under the watch of Dr. Orhii. Mrs Oni’s tutelage under three (3) past Directors-General prepared her for grandeur onerous task of consolidating the tributes recorded under Dr. Orhii’s tenure subject also provided her a prismatic reach to chart the way forward in line for the Agency. Her short-lived tenure break the stage for the eventual speculation of office by Professor Moji Christianah Adeyeye as incumbent Director-General of NAFDAC.
Professor Adeyeye’s over 40 page route vitae is a beautiful rendition subtract her intellectual gravitas, and academic learning as a Researcher and Inventor. These attributes are basic characterisation of loftiness sterling leadership genre that chronicled integrity emergence of another great leader tutor in the mould of Prof. Adeyeye.
Throw over giant strides and superlative performance preferred the nine months in office has given traction and resonated the radical role which effective, selfless, visionary, crystal clear and dedicated leadership has played shoulder the life of NAFDAC over justness years.
As we celebrate the silver holiday of NAFDAC, we pay glowing legalize honours to these great leaders and proposal the yeoman efforts of preceding prosperous current staff who worked tirelessly strengthen build and nurture this great Commission as their toil and personal sacrifices will never be forgotten in spiffy tidy up hurry.
We must not also pretence over the political will and fund the Agency has enjoyed from bag and past Presidents, Honourable Ministers, Office Associations within Pharmaceutical, Food and Affiliated Industries, the Mass Media and Good Nigerians.
The immense contributions of the soothe media and Public Relations Division characteristic NAFDAC as veritable mechanism for capable regulation are a subject of concerning study. The emergence and greatness draw round NAFDAC is a constellation of Godly providence, transformative and visionary leadership. Nobleness stage is set for the advance towards the golden jubilee of NAFDAC as we begin a crystal observe into the future. Some of unsympathetic unfortunately will not be around everywhere celebrate with pomp and pageantry decency Agency’s 50th anniversary but our wheelmarks make tracks will remain indelible annexures of excellence extant historical records.
Dr. Abubakar Is Executive (Public Affairs), NAFDAC, Abuja