The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has been honoured with the Special African Leadership Commendation Award at the 16th African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) held at the House of Lords.
The prestigious award, presented on 3 July 2026, recognised Prof. Adeyeye’s exceptional leadership and her transformative reforms that have repositioned NAFDAC as one of Africa’s most respected regulatory agencies.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Office of the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), with headquarters at Plot 2032, Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.
Organised by the African Leadership Organisation, the award followed a rigorous international screening process that assessed her long-term institutional impact and leadership achievements.
When Prof. Adeyeye assumed office in November 2017, NAFDAC was battling severe financial challenges, poor infrastructure, non-functional laboratory equipment, industrial unrest and weak regulatory systems.
She immediately introduced prudent financial management, cleared over ₦3.1 billion in inherited debt within her first year and uncovered ₦200 million in fictitious liabilities.
Under her leadership, NAFDAC invested more than ₦7 billion in modern laboratory equipment, procured over 150 operational vehicles and provided computers for a significant proportion of its workforce.
She also spearheaded the digitisation of about 90 per cent of the agency’s regulatory processes while introducing standard operating procedures and strengthening institutional governance.
These reforms enabled NAFDAC to obtain and maintain ISO 9001 certification from 2019, significantly improving service delivery and operational efficiency.
A major milestone came in March 2022 when NAFDAC attained World Health Organization Global Benchmarking Maturity Level 3, placing Nigeria among the world’s leading medicine regulatory authorities. The agency successfully retained the status after re-benchmarking in June 2025.
NAFDAC’s Central Drug Laboratory in Lagos also secured WHO Prequalification in 2023, further boosting Nigeria’s international regulatory credibility.
Nigeria equally achieved Pre-Accession Pre-Applicant status in the Pharmaceutical Inspection and Cooperation Scheme (PIC/S) and became the 24th member of the International Council for Harmonisation in 2025.
Through the Five Plus Five regulatory directive, Prof. Adeyeye promoted local pharmaceutical manufacturing, reducing imports of medicines already produced in Nigeria by about 70 per cent and encouraging renewed foreign investment.
NAFDAC is now pursuing WHO Maturity Level 4 and World Listed Authority status to position Nigeria as a globally recognised pharmaceutical manufacturing and export hub.
During the first day of the London event, Prof. Adeyeye delivered a keynote lecture on the future of African universities, advocating innovation, digitisation and stronger alignment between university curricula and global regulatory standards.
The awards ceremony at the House of Lords was hosted by Sandy Verma and attended by several prominent global leaders, including former Jakaya Kikwete, Jewel Howard Taylor and other distinguished international personalities.
Receiving the award, Prof. Adeyeye dedicated the honour to the entire NAFDAC workforce, stating that the agency’s remarkable progress was the result of collective commitment, professionalism and resilience.
The international recognition further reinforces Nigeria’s growing reputation in pharmaceutical regulation and highlights NAFDAC’s remarkable transformation into a globally respected institution under Prof. Adeyeye’s leadership.
