NAFDAC Inaugurates 600 Pharmacists as Reserve Volunteers for Regulatory, Public Health Activities

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has formally inaugurated 600 pharmacists into its Pharmacists Reserve Volunteer Programme, creating a national pool of trained professionals who can be called upon to support regulatory and public health activities when the need arises.

The inauguration was held on Thursday, 10 September 2026, at the NAFDAC Isolo Auditorium in Lagos, with pharmacists and other participants also joining virtually from across the country.

The programme is designed to provide NAFDAC with a reserve of pharmacists who can be mobilised for specific regulatory and public health needs across Nigeria. The Agency's programme plan states that the 600 selected volunteers will be brought into active service following the inauguration and engaged in regulatory and public health activities within their respective states.

Pharmacists to serve when the need arises

The Reserve Volunteer Programme is intended to function beyond a one-time training exercise. NAFDAC plans to maintain the volunteer pool as a standing national reserve that can be called upon when regulatory or public health needs arise.

The volunteers will, however, operate within the assignments and responsibilities authorised by the Agency and should not present themselves as NAFDAC staff outside the scope of their authorised duties.

The programme structure provides for state coordinators who will serve as the first point of contact for volunteers in their respective states, oversee local assignments and coordinate reporting. Volunteers are expected to complete their training, observe their stated availability and report on activities undertaken.

NAFDAC's programme plan also provides for central tracking of volunteer records, activity logs and performance, with assignments matched to volunteers' stated availability.

Training to cover regulatory and public health areas

The volunteers will undergo training in areas relevant to NAFDAC's regulatory and public health responsibilities.

The programme identifies regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and public health surveillance, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, data collection for regulatory purposes, drug abuse awareness and sensitisation, and regulatory enforcement among the training areas. The training is planned to be delivered virtually across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The training will be followed by field engagement, giving volunteers an opportunity to gain practical experience in regulatory activities.

The programme's implementation plan consists of four phases: onboarding, virtual training, field engagement, and ongoing management and sustainment.

Young pharmacists encouraged to see programme beyond volunteering

The initiative also seeks to prepare young pharmacists for opportunities within pharmaceutical regulation and public health.

During the inauguration, NAFDAC officials encouraged the volunteers to approach the programme as an opportunity for service, learning and professional development. The training is expected to expose participants to areas of regulatory practice that could strengthen their preparedness for future opportunities within NAFDAC and the wider pharmaceutical sector.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, told the volunteers that the programme should be viewed as an investment in them and in the future of pharmaceutical regulation in Nigeria.

She also urged the pharmacists to contribute meaningfully to the programme and make it a better platform for themselves and the country.

A role in the fight against falsified medicines

The inauguration also highlighted the potential contribution of pharmacists to NAFDAC's efforts against fake and substandard medicines.

The programme's training areas include regulatory enforcement, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and pharmacovigilance, all of which are relevant to the protection of the public from unsafe or poor-quality health products.

Antimicrobial resistance was also identified during the engagement as an area of research interest for the volunteers, reflecting the broader public health responsibilities that pharmacists can contribute to.

The Director-General congratulated the volunteers on becoming part of the initiative and highlighted the importance of their potential contribution to the fight against falsified and substandard products.

National representation

The 600 pharmacists were drawn from across Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, giving the programme a geographically distributed pool of volunteers.

The national spread is central to the programme's design, as volunteers are expected to undertake activities within their respective states when assigned.

According to NAFDAC's programme plan, the reserve is intended to remain active beyond the inauguration, with continued management, monitoring and deployment as needs arise.

Stipends for assigned duties

The volunteers were also informed that NAFDAC will provide stipends when they are called upon for assigned duties, with the support intended to cater for transportation and other related expenses associated with their assignments.

This arrangement distinguishes the reserve from a conventional unpaid volunteering exercise, while the volunteers remain part of a reserve pool rather than permanent members of NAFDAC's workforce.

Building a reserve for future public health needs

The long-term vision presented at the inauguration is to establish a national reserve of pharmacists who can be mobilised at short notice when the health of Nigerians is at risk.

For NAFDAC, the programme provides an additional pool of trained pharmacists who can support regulatory and public health activities across the country. For the participating pharmacists, it provides an opportunity to gain practical exposure to pharmaceutical regulation, public health surveillance, compliance, quality assurance and other areas of regulatory practice.

The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on how effectively the volunteers are trained, deployed and supported as the programme moves from inauguration to field engagement and ongoing management.

NAFDAC's programme framework describes the initiative as a reserve intended to be sustained beyond the inauguration, rather than a one-off exercise.