Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has revealed that she inherited a substantial financial burden upon her appointment. She stated that the agency was left with a debt of ₦3.2 billion and ₦500 million in unaccounted funds.
Adeyeye emphasized that such a financial scenario would have led to bankruptcy in a developed country, like the United States. She described the situation as dire, noting that if this had happened in the US, NAFDAC would have been taken over by a financial institution. Despite these challenges, she chose to tackle the problem head-on rather than giving up.
To manage the situation, Adeyeye introduced cost-saving measures, including the use of technology and cutting unnecessary expenses. She recalled how the agency started Zoom meetings in 2018, which faced resistance from some staff due to the elimination of travel allowances and per diem payments.
Regarding the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, Adeyeye attributed the current state of Nigeria to decades of mismanagement and corruption. She lamented the decline in national values and the erosion of societal institutions, attributing these issues to systemic failures over the past 60 years.
Adeyeye reflected on her personal and professional journey, contrasting her experiences abroad with the current state of Nigeria’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. She called for a return to transparency and integrity, stressing that corruption has deeply affected Nigerian society.
Her remarks underscore the need for a renewed focus on ethical governance and systemic reform to address the challenges facing the nation.
