According to t he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC , patent medicine vendors are an important part of Nigeria's healthcare system because of their reach and ability to fill manpower gaps.
The Niger State NAFDAC Coordinator, Pharmacist James Kigbu , stated this on Tuesday in Minna during a workshop for Patent Medicine Dealers tagged "Regulatory Compliance" held on September 2, 2025. He said training and sensitisation of medicine dealers have produced positive results, which informed the agency's decision to hold the programme.
He said, "The aim of this workshop is to refresh and most importantly, to equip you to adapt, so as to be able to navigate the multi-dimensional changes going on."
Pharmacist Kigbu listed some of the changes as health and medicine regulations literacy, patent-centric approaches, use of digital tools, and ethical conduct, noting that these can only be properly applied under regulatory compliance.
He added that compliance ensures pharmaceutical products are manufactured, distributed, and sold safely to protect public health.
According to him, "NAFDAC currently has five 5 operational strategic pillars in achieving its mission to protect and promote the public health by instituting an effective regulatory system that ensures only the right quality foods, drugs and other regulated products are manufactured, imported, advertised, distributed, sold and used."
He further explained that NAFDAC emphasises leadership and governance, operates a quality management system, institutionalises best practices, and adopts evidence-based decision-making and innovative tools.
Pharmacist Kigbu also stressed that the agency prioritises the safety and quality of regulated products. He said monitoring across the supply chain-from production to end users-will remain a focus, guided by evidence-based methods, international standards, and efficient financial management.