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NAFDAC Promises To Improve On Herbal Medicine Products For Global Acceptance
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has pledged to ensure herbal medicine products improvement to enable global acceptance.
The pledge is contained in a statement signed by the agency’s Director-General (D-G), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to newsmen on Sunday by NAFDAC’s media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola.
Akintola stated that Adeyeye made the promise in a message to commemorate the 2023 International Traditional Medicine Day, celebrated every Aug. 31.
The D-G commended the efforts of herbal medicines manufacturers across the country for their resilience.
She noted with pride the development of several herbal formulations and their progress from clinical trials stage to approval stage by NAFDAC.
Adeyeye said that the guidelines for the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), in herbal medicine production had been prepared by the agency.
According to her, NAFDAC is working on a series of trainings for practitioners to get accustomed to the guidelines.
She said officers of the agency would commence vigorous inspections of facilities, to ascertain the level of preparedness of the herbal practitioners in the business after the training.
According to her also, NAFDAC will monitor and ensure compliance with the guidelines after the training, and step down knowledge of the guidelines to the more than 614 herbal medicine facilities nationwide.
She said this was imperative to sanitise the sector as the agency could not enforce rules on herbal medicine practitioners that had not been trained.
The D-G explained that the facilities had been divided into zones, and the agency’s personnel across the federation would be deployed for the exercise.
She said that the strategy would also apply to practitioners in all other zones of the country, stressing that the deployment of NAFDAC personnel in each zone for the job would reduce cost for the agency.
The D-G disclosed that the stakeholder’s training would start with Lagos, which had more than 317 facilities,
She said after the training, the herbal practitioners would be given some few weeks to get ready for the inspection visits by NAFDAC personnel.
Adeyeye warned that any herbal practitioner that did not meet the agency’s standards would have the facility either shut down or placed on hold.
She noted that the agency was mostly worried about hygiene in herbal medicine practice, and so was training and counselling owners of the facilities visited to change their filling process.
She identified capsule filling as one aspect of their operations that was posing a big challenge to NAFDAC, as most herbal medicines were in capsule or syrup form and they did not have automated filling machines and were using the manual method which was not safe.
She therefore, warned that by the end of this year, the agency would not register any company without the semi-automated or automated capsule filling machines.
She noted that many Nigerians were using herbal medicine, and that the earlier the standard was raised, the better for the country.
Adeyeye disclosed that University of Lagos was establishing a manufacturing facility to enable all practitioners who did not have funds for filling automation use the facility at an affordable and reduced price.
“Herbal manufacturing GMP requires that the personnel be qualified, and the building be constructed to specific standards.
“The floor, walls, and roof must be clean, smooth, and impervious to moisture.
“All these are required to make contamination impossible as the guidelines emphasised the need for hygiene and also how the premises should be.
“We want a building that will make contamination impossible, the inspectors from the agency will be specific about how the equipment is placed to avoid cross contamination.
“In manufacturing, personnel are the greatest agents of contamination to products, the machines should be well placed to allow free flow of movement of staff”, she said.
She promised that the agency would find out how practitioners sourced and stored their raw materials and finished products.
The NAFDAC boss, however, expressed delight that three herbal product manufacturers were being awaited to conclude the clinical trials on some medicines.
She encouraged practitioners to present pilot study results for evaluation, saying that if found satisfactory, they could move to the larger study and later granted approval for full registration.
According to the D-G, people react differently to different drugs, hence the need for a larger number of samples for the study in the larger phase three of the clinical trials.
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.