By Asmau Ahmad
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has strengthened the vaccine regulatory system to undertake any task.
The agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja.
She said COVID-19 has brought new challenges and opportunities and this has necessitated the agency to enhance its vaccine regulatory system.
“Pre-COVID–19 establishment of quality management system and digiltalisation of the processes contributed to strengthening of the regulatory system. World Health Organisation (WHO) bench marking has created a strong foundation for NAFDAC and the country toward manufacturing of vaccines.
“Understanding of the complex pathway toward the system and the tools need will ease the burden toward reaching out targeted goal,” she stated.
Prof. Adeyeye said NAFDAC was also collaborating with other regulatory agencies to enable it to achieve its aims, noting that NAFDAC had achieved International Standard Organisation (ISO) accreditations in its operations.
She pointed out that some laboratories of the agency had also passed ISO accreditation and efforts were being made to maintain them.
“Labs with current ISO accreditation expand the test scope of our accreditation; we strengthened the central laboratory, Oshodi, while upgrade of some labs ongoing as we work toward ensuring medicine security in the country.
“We are also working toward ensuring that 80 per cent of medicines used in the country are manufactured locally,” she explained
