Nigeria becomes 34th AU mmber to ratify African Medicines Agency Treaty
African Union AU
Abdullateef Fowewe
Nigeria has formally deposited its instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, becoming the 34th African Union member state to do so.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced the development on 30 October 2026.
According to the agency, the move “strengthens the continent’s collective efforts to harmonise medicines regulation and improve access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products.”
The announcement was made by the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Ambassador A. Twum-Amoah, during the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week held in Kigali, Rwanda from 25 to 30 October 2026.
NAFDAC was represented by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye.
In its statement, NAFDAC said Nigeria’s ratification “reinforces the country’s commitment to protecting public health, combating substandard and falsified medical products, promoting pharmaceutical innovation and advancing local manufacturing as a foundation for health security and economic development.”
As Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest pharmaceutical markets, Nigeria’s participation is expected to support a more coordinated regulatory framework across the continent.
The agency added that the development also creates opportunities for deeper cooperation between NAFDAC, the AMA, and other national and regional regulatory bodies through information sharing and capacity building.
Prof. Adeyeye described the ratification as “an important step towards advancing access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medicines across Africa,” noting that the success of the AMA will depend on sustained collaboration among member states.
