By Miracle Ogunde
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has lamented shortage of personnel to enhance the effectiveness of its operations.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, during an interview with newsmen, stated that the agency is severely understaffed, a situation that has affected their ability to effectively carry out their roles.
She called on the government to address the staffing issue to ensure efficient service delivery.
Adeyeye pointed out that while NAFDAC had been working closely with Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN, the staff shortage remained a significant obstacle.
“PCN is responsible for registering drug-selling sites, whether a small kiosk or large shop, and also the practitioners.
“But both NAFDAC and PCN face staff shortages, which hinder our ability to reach every corner of the country,” she said.
She compared Nigeria’s staffing situation with that of Indonesia, which, with a population of 280 million, had 20,000 staff at its regulatory agency, while Nigeria, with 220 million people, had only 2,000 NAFDAC staff.
On the recent labour union crisis at NAFDAC, Adeyeye clarified that the unions’ demands, including promotions for staff, were beyond the agency’s authority.
She explained that the number of promotions was determined by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOS), not NAFDAC management.
“The Head of Service has the mandate for the number of staff to be promoted.
“It is not something NAFDAC could unilaterally decide.
“After discussions with the unions, and with intervention from the presidency, the issue has been resolved for now,” she said.
Adeyeye added that NAFDAC had continued to support its staff by ensuring timely payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits.
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