By Doris Obinna National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said its 5+5 Policy and Ceiling List initiatives are reshaping Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, with local manufacturing gaining ground as dependence on imported medicines declines. The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the initiatives had helped increase the number of pharmaceutical […] The post NAFDAC: Local drug manufacturing rises as imports fall — Adeyeye appeared first on The Su
By Doris Obinna
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said its 5+5 Policy and Ceiling List initiatives are reshaping Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, with local manufacturing gaining ground as dependence on imported medicines declines.
The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the initiatives had helped increase the number of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in the country from 174 to 190 while attracting fresh investments.
Adeyeye spoke over the weekend at the just-concluded Invest in Nigeria Conference and Expo 4.0, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where she urged foreign investors from more than 43 countries to establish operations in Nigeria.
3rd left DG NAFDAC, Prof. Adeyeye, next to her, President, LCCI, Engr Leye Kupoluyi, with a team of investors from Cameron at the closing ceremony of the conference in Lagos
According to her, the 5+5 Policy, introduced by NAFDAC in 2019, was designed to phase out the importation of selected medicines that Nigerian manufacturers had the capacity to produce.
“Under the policy, such products are prohibited from importation and must be manufactured locally. Stakeholders are required either to establish facilities in Nigeria or enter contract manufacturing arrangements with suitably qualified local manufacturers,” she said.
Adeyeye said the Ceiling List had further strengthened local production by increasing the number of products restricted from importation from nine in 2020 to 36.
“The initiatives also triggered a rise in facility layout submissions by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As of June 2026, 176 pharmaceutical companies had undergone facility layout reviews and approvals by NAFDAC, comprising 70 existing companies and 106 new companies,” she said.
She said the development reflected a clear shift from import dependence to local production, with imports of drug products covered by the two categories declining by 70 per cent.
Consequently, the ratio of imported to locally manufactured pharmaceutical products moved from 70:30 in 2019 to 50:50 in 2025.
Contract manufacturing has also expanded sharply, with the number of companies engaged in the model rising from 10 in 2019 to 87 in 2026.
Adeyeye said the model was reducing reliance on international supply chains, while existing manufacturers were undergoing retrofitting and upgrades to meet current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards.
She said NAFDAC would continue to support manufacturers through regulatory handholding and Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA) clinics to address compliance challenges and improve production standards.
Adeyeye disclosed that 37 existing manufacturers were undergoing construction and upgrades, while 28 had completed construction and were already operational.
She also pointed to rising foreign investment in medical devices, with international investors entering joint ventures with Nigerian firms to establish local manufacturing facilities.
According to her, 16 new pharmaceutical manufacturers and six new medical device and In-vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) manufacturers were emerging, with the facilities aligning with regulatory standards, including HVAC systems and other critical infrastructure.
Overall, Adeyeye said the 5+5 Policy and Ceiling List had produced 28 newly developed and retrofitted companies and 16 new facilities, bringing the total to 44 and resulting in a 25 per cent increase in local manufacturing.
NAFDAC is also pursuing Global Listing Re-evaluation in the food and cosmetics sectors to identify products that can be manufactured locally.
Adeyeye said the agency remained committed to market-friendly, innovation-driven regulation to strengthen Nigeria’s food and drug security.
She urged stakeholders to deepen collaboration with NAFDAC and encouraged investors to leverage President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 Executive Order, which provides zero tariffs, excise duties and Value-Added Tax (VAT) on imported machinery, equipment and raw materials for local healthcare manufacturing.
“The increase in local manufacturing is in tandem with the Executive Order of the Federal Government. We should embrace it,” she said.
The post NAFDAC: Local drug manufacturing rises as imports fall — Adeyeye appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
