The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has rejected calls for her resignation, accusing some Nigerians of having an aversion to public service.
Adeyeye spoke on Monday at a press conference in Lagos while responding to questions on whether she would bow to pressure to resign amid criticism over the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria.
The NAFDAC boss said she returned to Nigeria after spending decades in the United States because she wanted to serve the country.
“I lived in the U.S. for 37 years. I was a professor for 30 years in an all-white school. I retired happily. I came here to serve,” Adeyeye said.
She criticised what she described as a growing culture of seeking personal benefits from public office.
“But Nigerians have aversion for service. Some Nigerians have aversion for service. It is for ‘what can I get from the country?’” she said.
“We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what can I get?’ We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what is it in it for my pocket?’”
Adeyeye also alleged that efforts were made in 2022 to undermine her administration, including attempts to instigate NAFDAC workers to embark on a prolonged strike.
She said some individuals who wanted to become the agency’s next director-general were allegedly working behind the scenes to fuel the crisis.
“It was a horrible year because people instigated, even our own staff, to start to go on strike from June of 2022 to November to paint the kettle black. The kettle has remained white,” she said.
“Because some people wanted to become DG of NAFDAC, they are instigating a lot behind the scenes.”
The NAFDAC DG said her administration had transformed the agency despite inheriting significant financial and operational challenges.
According to her, NAFDAC inherited about N3.2 billion in liabilities, including N1.6 billion in unpaid taxes, about N700 million owed to staff who travelled for Good Manufacturing Practice activities and about N400 million owed to contractors.
Adeyeye said the agency had paid about N3.1 billion of the inherited debts by November 2018 and subsequently restricted further official travel until outstanding obligations were addressed.
She also disclosed that between 70 and 80 per cent of NAFDAC’s laboratory equipment was not functioning when she assumed office.
Adeyeye said the agency later improved its regulatory standing, rising from maturity level minus one to maturity level three in March 2022 under the World Health Organisation’s regulatory assessment framework.
She described the achievement as a major milestone for the agency and said NAFDAC subsequently gained international recognition through memberships and affiliations with global regulatory organisations.
The NAFDAC boss said she spent her first two years rebuilding the agency’s image after it had previously been described as a “good-for-nothing agency”.
She maintained that her motivation for returning to Nigeria was service rather than personal enrichment.
“I came here to serve. A contractor that I’ve demanded money from should come here and tell me,” she said.
Adeyeye’s comments came amid renewed public concern over counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria.
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