The Acting Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs. Yetunde Oni, has urged indigenous pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria to uphold best practices in the course of their endeavours to avoid the wrath of the agency.
Oni, who said the agency under her watch would not embark on witch-hunt of companies that fall within the purview of its jurisdiction, however, warned that no rule would be bent for any erring companies or corporate body.
Oni, who spoke yesterday in Ilorin during a routine courtesy visit on managements of Peace Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, added that the agency would not rest on its oars until all Nigerian drugs manufacturing companies attain international status.
She stated: “We wish to let you all know that we are here to do our utmost for the nation and her people. “We will, therefore, challenge you managers of pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria to continually strive towards meeting World Health Organisation’s (WHO) pre-qualification criteria.”
She commended the Ilorin-based pharmaceutical firm for its choice by the Kwara State government to produce drugs used during the recent “Roll Back Malaria” campaign in the state.
Oni, while recounting the success story of the firm during the exercise, noted that if it could measure up to the expected standard at the state level, its consideration for national and international assignments is imminent.
She pledged the readiness of the agency to give all the needed technical supports to drug manufacturing companies in the country towards making them compete favourably with contemporaries globally.
Earlier, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Samuel Akinlaja, extolled the virtues of the Oni-led NAFDAC in ensuring quality control of foods and drugs in the country.
Akinlaja, while attesting to the doggedness of the state Director of the agency, Mrs. Rose Ajayi, in effective monitoring of pharmaceutical companies in the state, disclosed that the development has brought out the best in the production capacities of his company.
