The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have renewed their partnership aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight of pharmaceutical products and consumables produced within the nation’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs).
The renewed collaboration was announced during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja.
Prof. Adeyeye said the visit was part of efforts to reinforce cooperation between both agencies in regulating the importation, exportation, production, and distribution of pharmaceuticals, food products, and cosmetics within the free trade zones.
She stressed the need for stronger institutional collaboration to protect Nigerians from the dangers of counterfeit drugs and substandard consumables entering the country through legitimate and illicit channels.
According to her, NAFDAC remained committed to conducting standard tests and ensuring compliance with approved specifications to safeguard the quality of regulated products across relevant sectors of the economy.
The NAFDAC boss described the Free Trade Zone scheme as critical to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic growth, noting, however, that there was a need to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals and food products exported from the zones into the customs territory.
“NEPZA and NAFDAC can fix this misalignment by jointly insisting on compliance. We can close this gap through excellent facility management and improved inspection across the production lines,” she stated.
Responding, the NEPZA Managing Director, Dr. Ogunyemi, welcomed the renewed partnership and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting NAFDAC in carrying out its statutory responsibilities within the zones.
He described the Free Trade Zone scheme, which currently comprises 63 zones and over 900 enterprises, as a major gateway for Nigeria’s economic development, while acknowledging the regulatory challenges associated with supervising such a vast network of enterprises.
“We need a joint effort to address some of the irregularities. We will allow NAFDAC to perform its regulatory functions because the public’s health depends on it,” Ogunyemi said.
The NEPZA boss added that the Authority had consistently worked to prevent the free trade zones from becoming safe havens for illicit activities, assured that the collaboration would enhance compliance with global standards in production and export operations.
The meeting also witnessed the inauguration of an eight-member technical committee tasked with examining challenges affecting the seamless implementation of both agencies’ regulatory responsibilities within the Free Trade Zones.
