By Prosper Mene
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, says Nigeria has cut the importation of 29 essential medicines by 70 per cent following the agency’s “Five Plus Five” local manufacturing policy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Adeyeye described the policy as the intervention that “saved Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry from oblivion.”
The ‘5+5’ Policy That Changed The Game
Launched in March 2019 and gazetted on May 1, 2019, the “Five Plus Five-Year Validity (Migration to Local Production)” policy gave pharmaceutical companies five years to migrate to local production or partner with local manufacturers for 29 products previously imported as finished goods.
“In 2019, we started what is called 5 Plus 5. The products that we have been importing into the country that we can also produce, we give you five years to migrate to local manufacturing or to partner. That has changed the industry,” Adeyeye said.
“We have decreased importation of products under those categories, 5 Plus 5 and ceiling list. We have decreased importation by 70 per cent.”
Under the policy, foreign manufacturers can no longer register finished versions of the 29 products for import without local production arrangements.
Products On The List
The 29 essential medicines cover antibiotics, pain relievers, antimalarials, and daily-use drugs, including:
Antibiotics: Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin
Pain/Anti-inflammatory: Paracetamol, Diclofenac
Antiparasitic: Albendazole
GI drugs: Omeprazole, Cimetidine
Others: Oral Rehydration Salts, Vitamin C in tablet and syrup form, Hydrochlorothiazide, Chlorhexidine gel
Topicals: Shea Butter cream, Benzyl Benzoate emulsion, Sulphur ointment, salicylic acid products
Herbals: Moringa, Aloe Vera, Garlic, Bitter Leaf
NAFDAC said the policy was designed to shorten the supply chain, prevent stock-outs, and ensure dependable access to essential medicines.
Govt Support and Next Steps
Adeyeye noted that the Federal Government’s 2024 Executive Order has further strengthened local pharmaceutical manufacturing through incentives. She added that prior to the policy, only 30 per cent of drugs consumed in Nigeria were produced locally, with 70 per cent imported.
The agency is also developing a similar policy for the food industry to encourage more local production.
The DG warned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to apply directly to NAFDAC for product registration instead of using consultants, saying many business owners had been scammed.
She explained that regulatory processes such as laboratory testing and facility inspections cannot be rushed because they are central to ensuring product safety and quality.
With the first “5+5” cycle completed, NAFDAC says the focus is now on expanding local capacity and quality assurance to deepen Nigeria’s drug manufacturing base.
