Nigeria has taken a significant step towards strengthening medicines regulation and public health protection by depositing its instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty. This move makes Nigeria the 34th member-state of the African Union (AU) to take this crucial step. The ratification was announced at the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week in Kigali, Rwanda, which took place from October 25 to 30, 2026.
The African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador A. Twum-Amoah, disclosed this information at the event attended by representatives of medicines regulatory agencies across Africa, Regional Economic Communities, the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union, and other international development partners. Nigeria's delegation was led by the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, alongside senior directors of the agency.
As Africa's most populous country and one of its largest pharmaceutical markets, Nigeria's membership in the AMA is expected to strengthen efforts towards establishing a coordinated and harmonized regulatory framework for medicines and other medical products. This development will also reinforce Nigeria's commitment to combating substandard and falsified medicines, promoting pharmaceutical innovation, and supporting local drug manufacturing as part of efforts to improve health security and economic development.
The ratification is expected to deepen cooperation among NAFDAC, the AMA, and other national and regional regulatory institutions through information sharing, scientific collaboration, regulatory capacity building, and improved coordination. This cooperation will enhance the regulation of medicines and medical products across the continent, ensuring that they are safe, effective, and of high quality.
The African Medicines Agency is designed to strengthen regulatory systems across the continent and facilitate access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable medicines. By joining the AMA, Nigeria is poised to benefit from improved medicines regulation, which will have a positive impact on public health protection and pharmaceutical development in the country.
Nigeria's ratification of the AMA Treaty represents not only a diplomatic and legal achievement but also an opportunity to advance pharmaceutical sovereignty, strengthen public health protection, and promote sustainable development in Africa. This move demonstrates Nigeria's commitment to improving health security and economic development through enhanced medicines regulation and cooperation with regional and international partners.
The inaugural African Medicines Agency Week, which hosted the announcement, brought together stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to discuss the importance of strengthening medicines regulation and promoting pharmaceutical development. The event provided a platform for countries to share experiences, best practices, and challenges in regulating medicines and medical products.
Key points
- Nigeria becomes the 34th African Union member-state to ratify the African Medicines Agency Treaty.
- The ratification aims to strengthen medicines regulation, public health protection, and pharmaceutical development across the continent.
- Nigeria's membership is expected to enhance cooperation among regulatory institutions and promote access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines.
