On July 21, 2026, the senate passed for a second reading, a groundbreaking bill aimed at consolidating all legislation governing products regulated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) into a single, comprehensive legal framework.
Titled the Food, Medical Products and Other Regulated Products Act, 2026, the proposed legislation will repeal the outdated Food, Drug and Related Products Act (Cap. F33) and the Food and Drugs Act (Cap. F32), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Sponsored by Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman (APC, Kwara North), the reform seeks to eliminate obsolete statutory provisions, modernize regulatory language, and equip Nigeria to effectively tackle contemporary public health challenges.
Following the debate on its general principles, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), directing it to submit a report within four weeks for further legislative action.
Leading the debate, Senator Suleiman emphasized that Nigeria’s current regulatory laws were enacted decades ago and fail to account for modern advances in healthcare, food processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“The regulatory environment has evolved significantly with the emergence of biotechnology, vaccines, biosimilars, advanced medical devices, AI-assisted diagnostics, online pharmaceutical commerce, and increasingly complex global supply chains,” Suleiman noted. “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.”
Key Highlights of the Proposed Act
The legislation broadens NAFDAC’s oversight and establishes stringent quality control standards, including:
Expanded Regulatory Scope: Covers processed foods, animal feeds, medical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), in-vitro diagnostics, vaccines, tobacco, chemicals, packaged water, and home care products.
Enhanced Public Protection: Introduces rigorous pre-registration product evaluation, robust post-market surveillance, continuous safety monitoring, product traceability, and mandatory recall powers.
Clinical Research Oversight: Establishes a formal statutory framework for clinical trials, human intervention studies, and performance evaluations.
Global Best Practices: Institutionalizes internationally recognized operational standards, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), Good Storage Practice (GSP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
Strengthened Enforcement: Enhances NAFDAC’s legal mandate regarding inspections, investigations, sampling, seizures, and enforcement while upholding transparency and due process.
By bringing Nigeria’s regulatory framework in line with global standards, the bill is expected to bolster consumer safety, boost local manufacturing competitiveness, and facilitate access to regional and international export markets.
