By Atoyebi Nike
President Bola Tinubu has pledged to further strengthen Nigeria’s ability to regulate medicines and vaccines to the highest global standards, following the World Health Organization’s confirmation that the country’s regulatory system remains stable, effective, and globally compliant.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the President welcomed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) confirmation that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has successfully retained its Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status for regulating medicines and vaccines (non-producing).
This status, the President noted, reflects sustained investment by the Federal Government in building a stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory system. He added that the achievement reinforces Nigeria’s reputation as a trusted partner in global health security and pandemic preparedness.
President Tinubu emphasized that promoting local production of healthcare products remains a priority under his Renewed Hope Agenda. Ongoing health sector initiatives include upgrading over 17,000 primary healthcare centres, improving maternal care and diagnostics in underserved areas, training 120,000 frontline workers, and doubling national health insurance coverage within three years.
Congratulating NAFDAC’s management and staff for their professionalism and consistency, the President pledged continued support for the agency’s drive towards WHO Maturity Level 4, the highest regulatory benchmark.
NAFDAC first achieved ML3 status in 2022, becoming the first African National Regulatory Authority to reach the milestone for non-producing vaccine regulation. The WHO’s latest re-benchmarking exercise, conducted from May 28–30, 2025, confirmed sustained compliance after a formal review in November 2024 and multiple progress assessments earlier this year.
