Health
NAFDAC to Register Chemical Manufacturers
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is set to register and certify premises of chemical manufacturers in order to boost the nation’s economy.
This was disclosed by the agency through its media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola.
He disclosed that the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, stressed the importance of having details of chemical manufacturers in the country at a virtual stakeholders’ meeting with the chemical makers.
According to him, it was also agreed with manufacturers of chemical products in Nigeria to explore the international market with chemical products to enhance the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
Mrs Adeyeye said that the product would also serve as a potent catalyst for industrial growth, adding that the current focus of the NAFDAC management was to ensure the agency’s regulatory activities were in line with international best practices.
She said that the aim of the stakeholders meeting was to sensitise, enlighten and create awareness on the current trends in the regulation of the manufacture of chemicals with emphasis on the need to be listed as a chemical manufacturer in Nigeria.
The NAFDAC boss noted that the chemical evaluation and research directorate has the mandate to ensure that only the right quality chemicals are manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, sold and used in Nigeria.
Mrs Adeyeye also disclosed that the directorate has put in place effective regulations and guidelines for sound chemical management in Nigeria.
She said that this was achieved by ensuring proper utilisation of chemicals in a manner that reduces risk to health and the environment.
Mrs Adeyeye said the agency also advocates the use of chemicals that are less harmful and hazardous, adding that a portal has been created by the agency for registration of chemical products for strict adherence to international best practices.
She further said that chemical products manufactured in Nigeria would enjoy wider acceptability and high competitiveness with the NAFDAC registration identity.
According to her, penetrating the international market will bring growth to the industry, and more Nigerians will secure employment opportunities sequel to the expected expansion in the operations of the manufacturers.
‘’Chemicals no doubt play a pivotal role in the economic development of any country, Nigeria as an economy in transition has many needs of chemicals for her numerous industries.
“Some of these chemicals are now manufactured in the country and this creates an environment of heightened concern that NAFDAC is expected to play a leading role in strengthening chemical safety and security.
“The NAFDAC Act empowers the agency to undertake appropriate investigations into production premises and raw materials for food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals.
“The Act also empowered the agency to establish relevant quality assurance systems, including certificates of the production sites and of the regulated products,” she said.
Mrs Adeyeye said that the law also compels all handlers of chemicals to adhere strictly to all the stipulated guidelines for sound chemical management in order to safeguard the health and protect the environment.
According to her, this underscores the reason the agency communicate any change in regulations to stakeholders.
She disclosed that listing of chemical manufacturers was initiated to address the existing gap in the regulation of the manufacture of chemicals in Nigeria, adding that manufacturers required to be listed as a chemical manufacturer.
Mrs Adeyeye said that those involved in the manufacture of speciality chemicals, laboratory chemicals, industrial chemicals, inks, paints, adhesives, wood preservatives, polishers, cleaning chemicals, agrochemicals, biocides, fertilizers and others also need to be listed.
She noted that the use of chemicals has increased geometrically in the past years in Nigeria resulting in an increase in local manufacturing capabilities.
Mrs Adeyeye said that the increase in production has led to the growth in the chemical industry in Nigeria and that the safe and secured management of chemical in the manufacturing sector was an issue that requires a collaborative effort between the regulators and the industries.
On his part, Mr Pieter De-Konnick, a Belgian, who is the Managing Director of Brenntag Chemical Nigeria Limited, producers of liquid caustic Soda, commended NAFDAC for the initiatives.
According to Mr De-Konnick, NAFDAC’s involvement in regulating the chemical manufacturing sector will bring it to the limelight and reposition Nigeria chemical industry for economic growth.
“This is my eighth year in Nigeria; this is the best thing that has happened to me in this industry, the NAFDAC is wonderful in its drive to regulate this industry,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Unikem Industries Limited, producers of Ethanol from cassava, Mr Uzor Kalu and Mr Paul Audu, Managing Director of Roychem Industries Limited, said that the hitherto bottlenecks in procuring NAFDAC Import Permit have disappeared.
They both noted that since Adeyeye became NAFDAC boss, import permit and removal certificates were often done easily and have a plan to activate the year.
The introduction of an online platform via an electronic process by the Adeyeye-led administration had made application and processing of the vital import documents completed in the last quarter of every year, while manufacturers already have the documentation done in readiness for the new year.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted 24 bills for consideration of the Senate which seeks to reduce the country’s over-bloated board memberships in the health sector.
The bills were conveyed alongside a letter addressed to President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read at plenary on Tuesday, in line with Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
President Tinubu said the proposed legislations followed a comprehensive review of existing health sector laws by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He said the review, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), was in collaboration with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
According to the President, the bills aims at streamlining governance structures across health institutions by reducing over-bloated board memberships.
This, he said, would improve efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery within the sector.
According to him, the proposed legislations cover a wide range of health institutions and regulatory bodies, including tertiary and teaching hospitals, specialty hospitals, professional councils, and regulatory agencies.
He said the bills transmitted to the Senate includes the National Hospital for Women and Children, Abuja, Federal Medical Centres, National Specialty Hospitals Management Board; Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board
Others are the National Eye Centre, National Ear Care Centre, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria; Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Blood Service Agency, among others.
The President also listed additional legislative proposals such as the Records Officers Registration and Digital Health Bill 2025 and the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Bill 2025.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that the Senate would give the bills careful and judicious consideration in the interest of strengthening Nigeria’s health sector.
After the letter accompanying the bills was read, Senate President referred all the 24 bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A new pan-African mental wellness campaign, the Africa Wellness Voices Initiative (AWVI), is set to launch this February, bringing together voices from across Africa to promote mental wellbeing, reduce stigma, and encourage supportive conversations around mental health.
Led by SereniMind, a mental health and wellness organization, AWVI will spotlight different African countries daily throughout February by sharing short wellness statements from individuals, organizations, youth leaders, and institutions.
Each daily feature will highlight local perspectives on mental wellbeing while reinforcing a shared continental message: mental health matters, it said in a statement shared with Business Post.
Mental health remains a critical but under-addressed issue across Africa. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression affects more than 66 million people in the African Region, while mental health services remain limited in many countries. Young people are particularly affected, facing stigma, lack of awareness, and barriers to accessing support.
AWVI said it aims to address these gaps through a unified, prevention-focused awareness campaign that leverages digital platforms to reach communities across borders. In addition to featured voices, members of the public are encouraged to participate by sharing short wellness videos on social media, fostering grassroots engagement and peer-to-peer support.
Speaking on the initiative, Mr Oyenuga Ridwan, Founder of SereniMind, said: “Across Africa, too many people suffer in silence when it comes to mental health. Africa Wellness Voices Initiative is about unity, bringing together Africans from different countries, ages, and backgrounds to normalize conversations around wellbeing and remind people that seeking support is a strength, not a weakness.”
The February campaign is expected to reach 15–25 African countries, feature 60–120 individuals and organizations, and generate over 500,000 digital impressions across platforms including Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok. The organizers hope to scale the initiative in future editions to include all 54 African countries.
AWVI says it aligns with broader continental and global priorities on health, youth empowerment, and wellbeing, contributing to conversations around preventive mental health, community resilience, and inclusive development.
Through technology, partnerships, and community engagement, SereniMind works to promote wellbeing and reduce stigma around mental health.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said Africa was no longer in the grip of a public health emergency over mpox, but warned that it remains endemic in several settings.
The announcement by the Director General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, on Saturday, comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) in September said mpox was no longer a global health emergency.
The organisation had declared its worldwide public health emergency over the viral infection — previously known as Monkeypox, and related to smallpox — in August 2024, after a two-pronged mpox epidemic broke out, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dr Kaseya said Africa was lifting its regional emergency status for the illness because of boosted detection, therapy, and the roll-out of more than five million mpox vaccines in 16 countries since 2024.
The response contributed to confirmed cases dropping by 60 percent between early 2025 and late 2025, and the number of deaths among those infected dropping from 2.6 per cent to 0.6 per cent, he said in a statement.
The lifting of the regional public health emergency status “does not mark the end of mpox in Africa,” he stated.
“Rather, it signals a transition from emergency response to a sustained, country-led pathway toward elimination.
“Mpox remains endemic in several settings, and continued vigilance, targeted investment, and innovation will be essential to consolidate gains and prevent resurgence,” the CDC chief added.
According to the WHO, 78 per cent of mpox cases were detected in Africa, with the DRC, Guinea, and Madagascar most affected.
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