FOOD AND DRUGS AMENDMENT DECREE 1999
Decree · Health
Policy date: 1999-01-01
A Decree strengthens regulations on food and drugs in Nigeria. It targets manufacturers, importers, and sellers to ensure product safety and quality. This protects consumers from harmful or counterfeit items.
What Is This Policy?
An amendment to the Food and Drugs Act strengthening the regulatory powers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the manufacture, importation, distribution, advertisement, and sale of food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices in Nigeria.
Who Does It Target?
Food and drug manufacturers and importers Pharmacists, patent medicine vendors, and retailers NAFDAC as the primary regulatory authority Consumers of regulated products
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
To enhance consumer protection by ensuring that food and drug products in Nigeria meet prescribed safety, quality, and efficacy standards, and to deter adulteration and counterfeiting through strengthened penalties.
Key Features
Mandatory Registration: All regulated products must be registered with NAFDAC before manufacture or importation. Good Manufacturing Practice: Manufacturers must comply with GMP standards to obtain and retain registration. Advertising Controls: Advertising of prescription drugs and certain food products requires NAFDAC pre-approval. Enhanced Penalties: The 1999 amendment increased fines and custodial sentences for adulteration and counterfeiting. Market Surveillance: NAFDAC conducts routine and intelligence-led inspections of markets and premises.
Current Status
In force as amended, though largely superseded in practice by the NAFDAC Act 1993 and subsequent regulations. The 1999 amendment remains part of the legislative history underpinning NAFDAC's regulatory powers.
Submit a product dossier to NAFDAC for registration Comply with factory inspection requirements Obtain a NAFDAC number before placing any product on the market Application method: NAFDAC headquarters, Abuja, and zonal offices
Important Terms
Selling unregistered products is a criminal offence NAFDAC numbers must appear on product labels Counterfeit drug production carries a minimum custodial sentence
Official Resources
Website: www.nafdac.gov.ng Policy Summary Document | Federal Republic of Nigeria
Legal Framework
The Food and Drugs (Amendment) Decree 1999 is recognized under Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution as an existing law. It amended the Food and Drugs Act 1974 and has been largely superseded by the NAFDAC Act 1993 and subsequent NAFDAC regulations. The current framework is the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, and the Consumer Protection Council Act.