Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says customers are the agency’s first priority and are always on its mind while making any decision.

The director-general said this at the inauguration of the new State Office in Ilorin on Friday.

Mrs Adeyeye noted that there was need to take trade regulation to customers’ door step, as well as sensitisation, saying that all the work cannot be done from Abuja or Lagos.

“In order to meet the mandate of the agency, we have embarked on a journey of strengthening the processes through establishment, implementation and continual improvement of the quality management system.

“This is about thinking of customers first and the quality of management system had transitioned over years to a robust platform for institutionalising resourceful leadership,

“Also evidence based decision making and engagement of a trained and competent workforce for effective customer focus delivery of regulatory activities,” she said.

The director-general however said that out of seven state offices under construction, Kwara was the first to be completed and inaugurated, others would be Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Sokoto and Yobe.

“The building was built to help achieve our mandate, apart from offices, there is a mini hall for staff training and sectorial groups interaction, enlightenment and sensitisation.

“This will enhance the activities and operations of the agency with in the state, thereby contributing to economic growth and well being of the people in Kwara,” she said.

Mrs Adeyeye thanked the state government and the good people of Kwara for their support and looked forward for more support.

The Acting Chairman of NAFDAC, Dr Muftau Yahaya, said that the agency had attained maturity level three in the World Health Organisation global birth marking tools.

Mr Yahaya commended the director-general for her resource oriented and environmental strive, which he said had given NAFDAC a seat among the world recognised regulatory agencies.

He explained that the level would help the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria and other food industry trade their products worldwide.

The acting chairman said that the agency had started working tirelessly to attain level four and sustain the developmental strides.

Mr Yahaya disclosed that the governing board had decided to decentralised the agency’s laboratory unit and would have two laboratories in each of the six geopolitical zone, including other planned intervention.

“Nigeria will get to maturity level four and our manufacturers will enjoy global distribution of their products with ease,” he said.

The NAFDAC Coordinator for South West Zone, Rose Ajayi, explained that she started the project during her tenure as the Kwara Coordinator.

Ms Ajayi noted that the director-general’s first visit to the state in 2018 helped towards achieving their goal in 2020 when they started construction, until her handing over in 2021.

The new state office was inaugurated by the acting chairman and director-general of the agency in the presence of the State Coordinator, Kenneth Azikwe, members of staff, other sister agencies and stakeholders. 

(NAN)