The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has formally inaugurated the NAFDAC Pharmacists Reserve Volunteer Programme, enrolling six hundred pharmacists for nationwide deployment.
The volunteers, drawn from all thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory and representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, were selected through a process based on merit, availability and geographic representation. The programme aims to create a standing pool of trained, vetted and mobilisable pharmacists who can be called upon at short notice during product recalls, suspected falsified medicine circulation, or emergencies in hard-to-reach communities.
Participants will gain hands-on experience in pharmacovigilance, compliance monitoring, quality assurance, data collection and public sensitisation against drug abuse. They will be mentored by experienced professionals and receive formal documentation of their service, including certification and letters that may support future employment, licensing or postgraduate applications.
The Director General, Prof. Adeyeye C M, described the programme as an investment in the regulatory future of Nigeria, stating that “regulation that lives only in the capital cannot protect a nation of more than two hundred million people.”
