On Wednesday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control introduced online product and company registration for producers and marketers of NAFDAC-controlled and regulated products in Osun.

Akin Fagboroye, assistant director, NAFDAC, South-West Zonal Office, Ibadan, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with product manufacturers and distributors in Osogbo.

He explained that the online registration was to eliminate bottlenecks and third parties in the product registration process.

Mr Fagboroye explained that the online registration, which had been on for a while, was for limited and certain products, “and the online registration now covered all products controlled and regulated by NAFDAC”.

“The online registration system, NAFDAC Automated Products Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS) is to enable manufacturers to register their products easily from the comfort of their homes.

“The process has been made seamless so that an applicant can monitor (online) all the processes from registration, payment, status/stages of registered products, and even print out the registration certificate of the product without going to the NAFDAC office,” he said.

Also, Roseline Ajayi, director of NAFDAC South-West zonal office in Ibadan, said although online registration enabled easy product registration, the agency still had desk officers to attend to customers’ inquiries and complaints.

“NAFDAC wants to advance beyond the level 3 international rating in food control and regulation, and henceforth, they will be engaging in post-market surveillance,” she said.

She said defaulters or those found short of the requirements during NAFDAC’s visit to their establishments would be sanctioned appropriately.

Isaac Kolawole, Osun NAFDAC state coordinator, stated in his remarks that the stakeholders’ meeting was part of the agency’s interactive programme to sensitise, educate, and enlighten manufacturers and distributors.

(NAN)