Adeyeye spoke on Monday at a press conference in Lagos, where she disclosed that NAFDAC had cleared about N3.2 billion in liabilities inherited when she assumed office.
According to the agency’s Director-General, the debts included approximately N1.6 billion in unpaid taxes, about N700 million owed to staff who travelled for Good Manufacturing Practice activities, and roughly N400 million owed to contractors.
She said one of her earliest decisions was to significantly reduce expenditure, particularly on official travels, so that available funds could be redirected towards settling the inherited liabilities.
Adeyeye recalled that NAFDAC recorded about 700 official trips in 2017 and said she immediately imposed restrictions on further travel until the agency’s debts were addressed.
“When I got to NAFDAC, the Agency had a status of maturity level minus one- out of four. We had N3.2 billion debt that I inherited. N1.6 million and N1.6 billion were taxes that my predecessors did not pay to the government, and other debts. In 2017 alone, there were 700 travels, and I say no more travels until we pay our debts,” she said.
She said the agency subsequently paid about N3.1 billion of the liabilities by November 2018, while some other claims were found to be unsupported.
“We paid about N3.1 billion by November 2018. The other money was fictitious, and we did not pay it. Then people asked me- why are you paying debts? We don’t pay debts here o! I said ehn ehn? But I told them I was brought up not to owe. Not to be a slave to the lender,” Adeyeye said.
‘70 to 80 per cent of equipment were not working’
The NAFDAC chief also painted a bleak picture of the agency’s operational condition when she assumed office.
According to her, between 70 and 80 per cent of the equipment in NAFDAC laboratories were not functioning, while the agency’s information and communications technology infrastructure was severely neglected.
She also claimed that directors did not have agency-provided laptops at the time.
“70 to 80 per cent of our equipment were not working in the lab. Companies were sending vehicles for us to come and inspect them. No single director had a laptop bought by NAFDAC as of 2017. The ICT was put in the deep freezer,” she said.
Adeyeye said the situation contributed to the negative perception of NAFDAC and Nigeria’s regulatory environment, prompting her to focus heavily on restoring the agency’s international reputation.
From maturity level minus one to level three
Adeyeye said the reforms eventually produced measurable improvements in NAFDAC’s regulatory standing.
She noted that the agency progressed from maturity level minus one to maturity level three in 2022, becoming the third agency in Africa to attain that level.
“But by March 2022, we became a maturity level 3 Agency – the third in Africa,” she said.
She added that NAFDAC subsequently gained recognition from major international regulatory organisations.
“Around March 2023, we became an affiliate member of the International Medical Regulatory Forum by invitation only. By 2025 we became a member of the International Council for Ammonization.”
Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s position among international regulatory agencies had changed significantly as a result.
“Let me tell you: we have 184 agencies across the world, and NAFDAC became number 24, and they have only 25 members there.”
She said the transformation had also changed how other countries and regulatory authorities perceive Nigeria’s food and drug regulator.
“Countries now respect us. Regulatory agencies respect us. In my first two years, I was going round doing image-making, rebuilding our bad image. They were calling NAFDAC ‘good for nothing agency’. Somebody told me, ‘Oh, we used to call NAFDAC good for nothing agency. Congratulations, you are now maturity level 3.’”
‘I was ashamed of my country’
Adeyeye also spoke emotionally about her decision to return to Nigeria after spending decades in the United States.
She said she had lived in the US for 34 years and spent three decades working as a professor before retiring and returning to Nigeria to serve.
“I lived in the US for 34 years. I was a professor for 30 years in an all-white school. I retired happily. I came here to serve, but some Nigerians have an aversion to service. It is What can I get! We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what can I get’! We have rendered Nigeria useless because of ‘what is in it for my pocket?’”
The NAFDAC boss said her motivation was driven by a desire to improve Nigeria’s international image and strengthen public institutions.
“I was ashamed of my country! I came to remove some of the shame. And the world is seeing it! The world is seeing it!”
Adeyeye rejects corruption allegations
The Director-General also addressed what she described as attempts to undermine her administration, including calls for her resignation.
She alleged that there had been efforts from within and outside the agency to force her out, including attempts to instigate staff protests.
Recalling 2022, which she described as the most difficult period of her first term, Adeyeye said some individuals were allegedly working behind the scenes because they wanted to become NAFDAC Director-General.
“In 2022, that was the last year of my first term. It was a bad year. It was a horrible year because people instigated, even our staff, to go on strike from June of 2022 to November. To paint the kettle black, but the kettle has remained white. Because some people wanted to become DG of NAFDAC? They are instigating a lot behind the scenes. But this is my 9th year.”
She challenged anyone with evidence that she had solicited money from contractors to come forward publicly.
“Any contractor that I have demanded money from should come here and tell me! I came here for service. I retired happily.”
Adeyeye ended by directly responding to those questioning when she would leave office.
“So that question, ‘when are you going to resign’- I hope you got the answer? Tell the person that sent you to ask that question that you have got the answer. Don’t be afraid to deliver the answer,” she said.
Her remarks provided an unusually personal account of her tenure, combining a defence of her record with a broader appeal for Nigerians to embrace public service and prioritise institutional development over personal gain.