Nigeria has deposited its instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency treaty, becoming the 34th African Union member state to complete the process in a move expected to strengthen medicine regulation and efforts against fake and substandard drugs across the continent.
The announcement was made by the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador A. Twum-Amoah, during the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week in Kigali, Rwanda, which ended on Friday.
Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who attended the event, described Nigeria’s participation as a significant step towards improving public health protection and pharmaceutical development in Africa.
Adeyeye said Nigeria’s ratification would strengthen efforts to establish a coordinated regulatory system for medicines and other medical products, particularly as the country has Africa’s largest population and one of its biggest pharmaceutical markets.
She said the development would also deepen cooperation among NAFDAC, the African Medicines Agency and other national and regional regulatory institutions.
According to the NAFDAC chief, the agreement offers African countries an opportunity to strengthen their response to substandard and falsified medicines, promote pharmaceutical innovation and support local drug manufacturing.
She stressed, however, that the achievement must translate into practical improvements through stronger institutional cooperation, regulatory capacity development, information sharing and scientific collaboration.
“The success of the African Medicines Agency will be measured by its contribution to ensuring that every African has access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines,” Adeyeye said.
She added that the effectiveness of the continental agency would depend partly on the maturity and capacity of national medicines regulatory authorities.
Adeyeye described Nigeria’s ratification as more than a diplomatic or legal achievement, saying it represented an investment in Africa’s health security, pharmaceutical independence and sustainable development.
The inaugural AMA Week brought together medicines regulatory agencies from across Africa, representatives of regional economic communities, the World Health Organisation, the European Union and other international health partners.
Nigeria’s ratification marks a significant step towards the treaty’s implementation, although the expected public health benefits will depend on effective coordination among participating countries and the capacity of their regulatory institutions to enforce common standards.
