Regulatory Affairs
NAFDAC DG Calls for Continental Action to Strengthen Food Safety Across Africa
NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has called for stronger cooperation among African food regulatory authorities to improve food safety, strengthen regulatory capacity and address risks arising from increasingly interconnected food systems and supply chains.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has called for stronger cooperation and coordination among food regulatory authorities across Africa to improve food safety and protect public health.
Prof. Adeyeye made the call during the Third African Food Regulatory Authorities Forum (AFRAF), held in Cairo, Egypt, from 30 September to 2 October 2026. The forum brought together food regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to discuss ways of strengthening collaboration and developing a more integrated approach to food regulation across the continent.
The meeting was held under the theme, “From Regional Economic Communities to a Continental Platform,” highlighting efforts to move beyond cooperation within individual regional economic communities towards broader continental coordination.
Shared Food Safety Risks Require Coordinated Response
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised that Africa's food safety challenges increasingly extend beyond national borders because of interconnected food systems, supply chains and growing intra-African trade.
She identified cross-border trade, food fraud, climate change and technological innovation among the factors creating new and shared regulatory challenges for African countries.
According to her, stronger regulatory convergence should result in practical benefits rather than remain limited to policy discussions. These benefits include timely information sharing, improved analytical capacity, virtual learning and greater harmonisation of regulatory requirements.
The AFRAF platform was established to facilitate engagement, information exchange, experience sharing and the development of collaborative agendas among African food regulatory authorities. Its membership includes senior representatives of food competent authorities across African countries.
Focus on Laboratories, Digital Technology and Surveillance
The NAFDAC Director-General also highlighted the need for sustained investment in the systems and resources required to make food regulation more effective.
She identified regulatory capacity, laboratory infrastructure, digital technologies, human resources and surveillance systems as key areas requiring continued investment.
These areas are increasingly important as regulators face more complex food supply chains and the need to identify and respond to food safety risks using timely scientific and regulatory information.
The Third AFRAF meeting also addressed issues including risk analysis, laboratory capacity, modernisation of food control systems through data and digital tools, regulatory innovation and cooperation with the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
From Working Alongside One Another to Working Together
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to strengthening its national food control system while contributing to regional and continental initiatives aimed at advancing food safety.
She stressed that African regulators need to move from working alongside one another to working with one another in order to build safer, more resilient and effective food systems.
The emphasis on cooperation reflects the broader purpose of AFRAF, which was established to create a collaborative environment for African food regulators and support regulatory convergence across national and regional systems. The forum's development is also linked to wider efforts to harmonise food safety approaches and support intra-African trade.
Why This Matters for Public Health
Effective food regulation is an important component of public health because weaknesses in food control systems can allow unsafe, adulterated or fraudulent products to enter markets and move across borders.
For African countries with increasingly connected food supply chains, cooperation between regulators can support faster information exchange, coordinated responses to emerging risks and more consistent regulatory requirements.
For Nigeria, stronger continental cooperation could also provide opportunities for NAFDAC to share regulatory experience, strengthen technical capacity and contribute to the development of common approaches to food safety.
The Third AFRAF meeting is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen collaboration among African food regulators. The forum's organisers have identified the development of practical actions, partnerships and future priorities as important steps towards a more integrated continental food regulatory system.
A Continental Approach to Food Safety
Prof. Adeyeye's call places greater emphasis on turning regulatory cooperation into practical systems that can improve how African countries prevent, detect and respond to food safety risks.
As food systems become increasingly interconnected, stronger coordination among regulators could help countries address risks that do not stop at national borders while supporting safer food trade across the continent.
For NAFDAC, continued participation in continental regulatory initiatives provides an opportunity for Nigeria to contribute to shaping a more coordinated African food safety framework while strengthening its own national food control system.