The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has defended her nine-year tenure at the agency, saying she returned to Nigeria after 34 years in the United States because she was “ashamed” of the country and wanted to help restore its image.
Adeyeye spoke on Monday during an engagement with journalists, amid renewed calls for her resignation.
The NAFDAC boss said she had no regrets about leaving a successful academic career in the US to serve in Nigeria, insisting that her decision was driven by a desire to contribute rather than personal gain.
“I lived in the US for 34 years. I was a professor for 30 years in an all-white school. I retired happily. I came here to serve, but some Nigerians have an aversion to service,” she said.
Adeyeye also challenged anyone accusing her of demanding money from contractors to come forward with evidence.
“Any contractor that I have demanded money from should come here and tell me! I came here for service. I retired happily. I was ashamed of my country! I came to remove some of the shame. And the world is seeing it!” she said.
She recalled that NAFDAC faced significant financial and operational challenges when she assumed office, including about N3.2 billion in outstanding liabilities and widespread malfunctioning of laboratory equipment.
According to Adeyeye, between 70 and 80 per cent of the agency’s laboratory equipment was not working at the time, while its information and communications technology infrastructure was also in poor condition.
She said NAFDAC’s directors did not have agency-purchased laptops as of 2017.
Adeyeye said settling the inherited liabilities was among her immediate priorities, adding that about N3.1 billion had been paid by November 2018.
She also highlighted what she described as improvements in NAFDAC’s international regulatory standing.
According to her, the agency moved from maturity level one to level three by March 2022, making it the third regulatory agency in Africa to attain that level.
She added that NAFDAC became an affiliate member of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum in 2023 and joined the International Council for Harmonisation in 2025.
“Countries now respect us. Regulatory agencies respect us. My first two years, I was going round doing image making, rebuilding our bad image. They were calling NAFDAC ‘good for nothing agency’. This is my 9th year,” she said.
Responding directly to questions over calls for her resignation, Adeyeye said her record should answer the criticism.
“So that question; ‘when are you going to resign’ — I hope you got the answer?” she asked.
The agency has continued to face scrutiny over the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines, food, beverages and cosmetics in the Nigerian market.
NAFDAC has also faced opposition from some manufacturers and civil society groups over its restrictions on sachet alcohol and small PET bottles below 200ml.
Critics have argued that the policy could affect jobs and investment, while NAFDAC has maintained that its regulatory measures are aimed at protecting public health.
Adeyeye also pointed to the agency’s enforcement record, saying NAFDAC had destroyed counterfeit products valued at more than N1.5 trillion over the past three years.
