Senate advances bill to establish unified legal framework for NAFDAC-regulated products

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — A bill seeking to establish a single statutory framework for all products regulated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has scaled second reading in the Senate.

The proposed legislation is aimed at repealing existing laws governing food and drug regulation and replacing them with a comprehensive legal framework to regulate food, medical products and other related products in Nigeria.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman (APC, Kwara North), seeks to repeal the Food, Drug and Related Products (Registration, etc.) Act, Cap. F33, and the Food and Drugs Act, Cap. F32, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and enact the Food, Medical Products and Other Regulated Products Act, 2026.

The proposed law is designed to harmonise existing provisions, remove obsolete sections, modernise statutory language and provide a regulatory framework capable of addressing current and emerging challenges in the sector.

Following its consideration on Tuesday, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further legislative action and directed the committee to report back to the chamber within four weeks.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Senator Suleiman said the proposed legislation would strengthen public health protection, promote consumer safety, encourage local manufacturing and align Nigeria’s regulatory system with international best practices.

He noted that the existing laws were enacted several decades ago when pharmaceutical manufacturing, food production and healthcare technologies were less advanced than they are today.

According to him, the regulatory environment has evolved significantly with the emergence of biotechnology, vaccines, biosimilars, advanced medical devices, artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics, online pharmaceutical commerce and increasingly complex global supply chains.

The lawmaker said the proposed legislation would expand the scope of regulation beyond food, drugs and cosmetics to cover processed foods, animal feeds, medical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical devices, in-vitro diagnostic devices, vaccines, tobacco products, chemicals, packaged water, home care products and other items capable of affecting public health.

Suleiman said the bill would introduce stronger provisions for product evaluation before registration, post-market surveillance, continuous safety monitoring, product traceability and mandatory recalls where public safety demands urgent action.

He added that the legislation would provide a comprehensive statutory framework for clinical trials, performance evaluations and human intervention studies.

The bill also seeks to institutionalise internationally recognised standards, including Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Distribution Practice, Good Storage Practice, Good Clinical Practice and Good Laboratory Practice, to ensure quality control throughout production, storage, transportation and distribution processes.

Suleiman further stated that the proposed law would strengthen NAFDAC’s powers on inspection, investigation, sampling, detention, seizure, product recall and enforcement, while ensuring transparency, accountability and due process.

He said the legislation would position Nigeria to improve regulatory cooperation globally, enhance the competitiveness of locally manufactured products and support access to regional and international markets.

“The enactment of this legislation will further strengthen the capacity of NAFDAC to discharge its statutory mandate efficiently, transparently and in accordance with international best practices,” he said.

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