The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged stakeholders in Niger to comply with regulatory requirements to protect public health and avoid sanctions.
Mr Joseph Edor, NAFDAC Deputy Director in charge of the North-Central Zone, gave the advice at a stakeholders’ engagement organized by the agency in Minna on Tuesday.
Edor said the meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, address business challenges, and improve regulatory processes.
He highlighted the agency’s digital reforms, particularly the NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which has simplified product registration, document submission and certificate retrieval.
According to him, the platform enables applicants to submit documents electronically, correct identified errors without retyping entire files and print approved product registration certificates without relying on consultants.
He said NAFDAC had also introduced measures to ease registration for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including decentralizing some processes to zonal offices and reducing documentation requirements.
Edor urged manufacturers to take advantage of the reforms to cut operational costs, minimize delays and reduce unnecessary dependence on intermediaries.
He advised agro-product exporters to obtain the required NAFDAC export health certificates, noting that the service was free for eligible products.
He added that Nigeria’s attainment of the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level Three had strengthened confidence in the country’s regulatory system and enhanced opportunities for local pharmaceutical manufacturers to access export markets.
The zonal coordinator warned bakers against using potassium bromate, which NAFDAC has prohibited because of its health risks.
He also cautioned manufacturers against improper labeling, the use of other companies’ packaging materials, and the production of different product variants under a single registration without the necessary approvals.
Edor stressed the importance of displaying expiry or best-before dates on products and maintaining 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.
The NAFDAC official further advised pharmaceutical distributors and retailers to maintain appropriate storage conditions for temperature-sensitive products, including vaccines and medicines that require refrigeration between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius.
He urged cold-room operators handling frozen fish, meat and other perishable products to provide reliable backup power or alternative cooling systems to prevent spoilage.
Edor also called on agrochemical dealers to comply with NAFDAC’s listing requirements, warning that enforcement against unlisted and banned products would be intensified.
He said violations could result in product seizures, fines, or prosecution, depending on the nature of the offense, and advised stakeholders to obtain accurate regulatory information directly from the agency rather than relying on hearsay.
He reiterated NAFDAC’s position on restricting alcoholic beverages in small packaging of 200 milliliters and below, urging stakeholders and the media to help publicize the measure.
Earlier, Mr James Kigbu, NAFDAC State Coordinator in Niger, said continuous stakeholder engagement had become part of the agency’s operational culture.
Kigbu said the meeting aligned with NAFDAC’s strategic priorities on leadership and improving regulatory processes, while providing participants an opportunity to raise concerns, ask questions and make suggestions.
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In a goodwill message, Alhaji Ahmed Sule, Chairman of Coca-Cola Dealers in Minna, commended NAFDAC for creating a platform to address business challenges.
He assured the agency that participants would apply the knowledge gained to improve their operations.
Also speaking was Sameerah Umaru, Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer at NAFDAC in Niger, who guided participants through the NAPAMS registration process.
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