The Senate has begun moves to ensure the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive ordering the refund of unauthorised deductions from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The development follows revelations by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, that nearly a year after the President approved the refund, the agency is yet to receive the official implementation letter needed to recover the outstanding funds.
Adeyeye disclosed this on Wednesday while appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance during an investigative hearing on the remittance of internally generated revenue and operating surplus into the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the 2023 to 2025 fiscal years.
She explained that President Tinubu approved the refund after she presented details of the deductions during a meeting with him in August 2025. The President also directed that NAFDAC be removed from the list of revenue-generating agencies subject to the deductions.
However, she said the directive has yet to be carried out.
According to Adeyeye, approximately ₦21 billion was deducted from payments made by NAFDAC’s clients before the funds reached the agency, disrupting critical regulatory operations. Although about ₦13 billion has been refunded, she said the balance remains outstanding, leaving the agency unable to clear liabilities estimated at ₦3.9 billion.
She noted that the deductions affected key activities, including laboratory testing, product inspections, enforcement operations, and post-marketing surveillance, stressing that the funds were generated by the agency through services rendered to clients rather than direct government allocations.
Despite the financial setbacks, Adeyeye told lawmakers that NAFDAC exceeded its revenue targets over the past three years. The agency generated ₦18.73 billion in 2023, ₦29.8 billion in 2024, and ₦39.6 billion in 2025.
Responding to the presentation, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, directed NAFDAC to submit the presidential approval authorising the refund so the committee can facilitate legislative action to ensure the directive is implemented.
Musa praised the agency’s strong financial performance and called for the immediate release of funds due to NAFDAC.
He also commended the agency for maintaining sound financial management while urging it to continue operating with transparency and accountability.
The Senate’s intervention is expected to accelerate the implementation of the presidential directive and strengthen NAFDAC’s capacity to carry out its regulatory responsibilities, including safeguarding public health through food and drug regulation.
