News Investigators/ National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged stakeholders in Niger to comply with regulatory requirements to safeguard public health and avoid sanctions.
Joseph Edor, Deputy Director in charge of the North-Central Zone of NAFDAC, gave the advice at a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the agency in Minna on Tuesday.
Mr Edor said the engagement aimed to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, address challenges affecting their businesses and improve regulatory processes.
He highlighted the agency’s digital reforms, particularly the NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which had simplified product registration, document submission and certificate retrieval.
He explained that the platform allowed applicants to submit documents electronically, correct identified errors without retyping entire files and print approved product registration certificates without relying on consultants.
The zonal coordinator said NAFDAC had introduced measures to ease registration for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including decentralising some processes to zonal offices and reducing documentation requirements.
He encouraged manufacturers to take advantage of the reforms to reduce operational costs, minimise delays and avoid unnecessary dependence on intermediaries.
Mr Edor urged agro-product exporters to obtain the required NAFDAC export health certificates, noting that the service was provided free of charge for eligible products.
He added that the agency’s attainment of the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level Three had strengthened confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory system and improved opportunities for local pharmaceutical manufacturers to access export markets.
Mr Edor warned bakers against using potassium bromate, which NAFDAC prohibited because of its health risks.
He also cautioned against improper labelling, using other companies’ packaging materials and producing different product variants under a single registration without the required approvals.
The zonal coordinator emphasised the need to display expiry or best-before dates on products and maintain proper hygiene, sanitation and filtration systems, particularly in water production facilities.
He attributed many contamination incidents to poor personal hygiene, inadequate sanitation and failure to maintain production equipment.
Mr Edor advised pharmaceutical distributors and retailers to maintain appropriate storage conditions for temperature-sensitive products, including vaccines and medicines requiring refrigeration between two and eight degrees Celsius.
He also urged cold-room operators handling frozen fish, meat and other perishable products to provide reliable backup power or alternative cooling systems to prevent spoilage.
He warned agrochemical dealers to comply with NAFDAC’s listing requirements, adding that enforcement against unlisted and banned products would be intensified.
He said violations could attract product seizures, fines or prosecution, as applicable, and urged stakeholders to obtain accurate regulatory information directly from the agency rather than rely on hearsay.
Mr Edor reiterated the agency’s position on restricting alcoholic beverages in small packaging of 200 millilitres and below, urging stakeholders and the media to help disseminate information about the measure.
Earlier, Mr James Kigbu, NAFDAC State Coordinator in Niger, said continuous stakeholder engagement had become part of the agency’s operational culture.
He said the meeting aligned with NAFDAC’s strategic priorities on leadership and improving regulatory processes, providing participants an opportunity to present concerns, ask questions and make suggestions.
In a goodwill message, Alhaji Ahmed Sule, Chairman of Coca-Cola Dealers in Minna, commended the agency for providing a platform to address business challenges.
He assured the agency that participants would apply the knowledge gained to improve their operations.
Sameerah Umaru, Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC in Niger, also guided participants through the NAPAMS registration process.
NAN