NAFDAC Won’t Compromise Standards – Acting DG
The acting director-general of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), Yetunde Oni, has vowed that the agency would not compromise standards in its drive to fast-track the product registration process.
Oni said this on Monday in Abuja while reacting to comments by stakeholders at the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) 2016-2017 Reform Update.
She said the agency would try to hasten the application and approval processes for product licensing without compromising standards and health of citizens.
“NAFDAC is fully committed to the ease of doing business in Nigeria.We have already taken a number of steps to demonstrate this.
“However, given the peculiarity of our agency and its impact on the health of citizens, there are fundamental issues that we cannot toy with.We try as must as possible to ensure that we accommodate everybody while operating in line with global standards.
“So for you to register a product, the laboratory result must be satisfactory. The lab is the heartbeat of the agency and so also the facility the business is operating,” she said.
Process
In order to hasten the whole process, Oni advised Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) doing similar businesses to form clusters.
She said, together, they can invest in building standard structures, which once inspected and approved, would serve every member of the cluster.
Meanwhile, the Enabling Business Environment Council Coordinator, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said that the council has prioritised six Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to improve their business environment.
“You talked and we listened. Since July, we have been paying closer attention to NAFDAC, SON, Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, NOTAP, Police and Customs because they had the highest number of negative feedback.
“When it comes to trading across borders, movement of goods and services across the country, the private sector has brought to our notice that police and customs were said to be the worst
“Also, on the issue of intellectual properties, people complained about the difficulties in getting patent and trademark licence from NOTAP.
“Therefore to sustain the improvement, we are already seeing the ease of doing business in the country; we must ensure that these agencies improve their service delivery,” she said.
She added that the council is also working with state governments to improve the areas of starting a business, enforcing contracts, dealing with construction permits and registration of properties.
