LAGOS, Nigeria — Professor Mojisola Adeyeye has rejected calls to resign as head of Nigeria’s food and drug regulator.
She defended her nine-year record as concerns persist over counterfeit and substandard products.
Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, addressed the demands during an engagement with journalists in Lagos on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Asked whether she would consider leaving the position, Adeyeye laughed before outlining what she described as improvements made since she assumed leadership of NAFDAC in 2017.
She said she had returned to Nigeria after living in the United States for decades because she wanted to strengthen the regulatory agency.
“I came here to serve,” Adeyeye said.
She also challenged anyone accusing her of demanding payments from contractors to present evidence supporting the allegation.
Adeyeye’s remarks came amid continuing public concern about counterfeit medicines and other substandard regulated products reaching consumers.
NAFDAC said its enforcement operations had resulted in the seizure or destruction of counterfeit and substandard products valued at more than ₦1.5 trillion since 2023.
The agency said the operations were conducted across the country.
Adeyeye also described the financial and operational condition of NAFDAC when she took office.
She said the agency had approximately ₦3.2 billion in liabilities and that some of its laboratory equipment was in poor condition.
According to Adeyeye, her administration subsequently cleared those liabilities and increased the agency’s regulatory capacity.
She cited NAFDAC’s attainment of maturity level three in 2022 and its membership of international regulatory organisations as evidence of institutional progress during her tenure.
Adeyeye maintained that the agency remained focused on protecting consumers and improving Nigeria’s system for regulating medicines, food and other controlled products.
Returning to the question about her future at the agency, she said: “So that question, ‘when are you going to resign?’ I hope you got the answer?”
