Address by Prof. Adeyeye C. M
Director General NAFDAC
SMEDAN-NAFDAC Summit
Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) Victoria Island Lagos.
9th November, 2026
Protocol
Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is with great pleasure that I address this Distinguished gathering of Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs at this SMEDAN-NAFDAC summit.
I want to commend the DG SMEDAN and his team for providing a platform that brings together the people who truly drive the Nigerian economy. MSMEs are the largest employers of labour in this country, the custodians of our indigenous food and health products, and the engine room of our industrial and export ambitions.
For many entrepreneurs, the journey from a good idea in the kitchen, the farm or the small factory to a registered, trusted and exportable product is the most important journey of all. At NAFDAC, our task is to make that journey short, affordable and predictable with outcomes that are safe.
Regulation as an Enabler of Small Business
When MSMEs hear “NAFDAC,” they run through various thoughts like fees, delays, cumbersome documentations etc. I want to speak plainly: NAFDAC does not exist to frustrate small businesses. We exist to protect the Nigerian consumer, encourage and guide the honest manufacturer to produce products that are safe, wholesome and of good quality.
A NAFDAC number is more than a number on a label. It is a mark of trust. It tells the consumer in Kano, in Aba, in Abuja, and the buyer in Accra, London or Johannesburg, that this product has been evaluated and that the manufacturer works within a system of quality and safety. That trust is the most valuable asset any small business can own.
This is why the Agency has repositioned itself as an enabler of industry, not only a regulator, while holding firm on quality, safety and efficacy.
NAFDAC was established by Decree 15 of 1993 as amended by Decree 19 of 1999 and now the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. This Act mandates NAFDAC to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water (collectively known as regulated products).
NAFDAC is ISO 9001:2015 Certified and has attained the maturity level 3 of the WHO Global benchmarking for regulatory authorities with level 4 in view.
One of the Regulatory Mechanisms for the control and regulation of these regulated products to ensure that they are safe, of good quality and efficacious is Registration/ Licensing.
The basic steps involved in product registration includes: 1. Documentation – a) Obtain the relevant Information/Guidelines for the category of product intended for registration from the NAFDAC website. b) Submission of application and relevant Documents through the appropriate e-platform of the Agency (NAPAMS). 2. Inspection – Schedule of facility Inspection to ensure satisfactory Good Manufacturing or Hygiene Practices. This is done after payment of the appropriate fees. 3. Laboratory Analysis – Pronouncement on quality of products after relevant analysis. 4. Approval – Registration and Issuance of Marketing Authorization (NAFDAC Reg. Number).
NAFDAC’s Interventions for MSMEs on Product Registration
We understand that for a small enterprise, cost, time and complexity can be barriers to formalization. Over the years, the Agency has deliberately designed interventions to encourage MSMEs and lower these barriers:
- Reduced fees for small businesses. Introduction of 50 per cent reduction in registration charges for companies with five or fewer employees.
- Electronic and assisted registration. Through the NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), MSMEs can submit and track applications online, from their workplace or even from their homes. This reduces travel, cost, and opportunities for sharp practices, and it improves transparency.
- Small Business Support Desk. The Small Business Support Desk guides small enterprises through the registration process.
- Expedited Laboratory Analysis.
- Decentralization of registration to the Zones for MSME products.
- Approval for product registration under Common or Shared facility for products that are similar and of low risk.
- Free counselling and guidance. Our zonal and state offices are open to entrepreneurs who need help to get it right the first time. Many applications are delayed not because of regulatory obstacles but because of incomplete documentation, inadequate labelling or facilities that are not yet ready for inspection. A conversation with us before submission saves time and money.
I must add that to access these supports, MSMEs must be willing to meet us halfway. Registration timelines are shortest when applications are complete, facilities are inspection-ready, compliance directives are responded to without delays and samples meet the required standards.
NAFDAC’s Support for MSMEs on Exports
Nigeria has remarkable products: processed foods, spices, cocoa and cashew derivatives, shea products, herbal and traditional preparations, cosmetics and many more. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) bringing together a market of more than a billion people, the opportunity for Nigerian MSMEs has never been greater.
But opportunity without compliance leads to rejection. Too many consignments from Nigeria have been turned back at foreign ports because of contaminants, poor packaging, or the absence of proper registration and certification. Every rejection costs the exporter money, damages the reputation of the country and closes doors for others who follow. Our shared target must be zero rejection of Nigerian exports.
To support MSMEs who want to export, NAFDAC offers the following:
- Export certification. Only registered NAFDAC-regulated products are approved for export. NAFDAC issues export certificates and, depending on the product, health certificates, certificates of pharmaceutical products and certificates of free sale, which importing countries increasingly demand.
- Technical support and laboratory testing. For registered and cooperative exporters, we offer technical support and free or highly subsidized laboratory testing, including mycotoxin, pesticide residue and heavy metals analysis, which are often the very tests that determine whether a consignment is accepted in the European Union and other stringent markets.
- Good Manufacturing and Hygiene Practices. We guide exporters on GMP, Good Hygienic Practices and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, so that problems are corrected at the factory and not discovered at the foreign port.
- Stakeholder sensitization. We have taken export workshops to exporters in the regions, and we are engaging freight consolidators, clearing agents, and pre-shipment inspection agents, who are important links in the export chain, so that everyone aligns with the electronic channels for export certification.
- Participation in the AfCFTA National Approval Committee and Export Trade Liberalization Scheme. NAFDAC’s presence ensures that products approved for preferential trade are properly registered and certified, protecting both the exporter and the credibility of Nigerian products.
- Partnership with Sister agencies. We collaborate with sister agencies in ensuring exporters comply with export requirements.
Challenges and What We Ask of You
Some exporters still bypass the regulatory process or ship products without laboratory testing. Some labels do not meet the requirements of destination markets while Some manufacturers wait until their registration has expired before seeking renewal.
These are avoidable problems. I therefore appeal to all MSMEs to:
- Register early and keep your registration current. Do not wait until a deadline is missed.
- Build quality into your process from the sourcing of raw materials through to packaging and distribution. Quality cannot be tested into a product after it is made.
- Engage NAFDAC early, before you design your label, build your facility or plan an export consignment.
- Embrace inspections as an opportunity for improvement, not a threat.
- Resist shortcuts and intermediaries. Our services are accessible. No one needs to pay an agent or an “insider” to obtain what the Agency provides to every qualified applicant through a transparent process. Please report any request for improper payment to the Agency.
Conclusion
The future of Nigeria’s economy will be shaped, largely by how well our MSMEs grow, formalize and compete. A product that is safe, properly registered and of good quality can travel from the smallest market stall in Nigeria to the shelves of any city in the world.
“Compliance is not the end of the entrepreneurial journey; it is the passport that allows a product made in Nigeria to be trusted at home and respected abroad.”
NAFDAC remains committed to walking with every MSME on this journey. Our doors are open, our officers are ready to guide you, and our shared goal is safe products, thriving businesses and a stronger Nigeria.
I wish you all fruitful deliberations and a successful conference.
Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
