Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)Professor Mojisola Adeyeye has said customers are the agency's first priority and are always on its mind while making any decision.

She made this assertions while inaugurating the new State Office in Ilorin on Friday.

Mrs Adeyeye emphasised the importance of bringing trade regulation to customers' doorsteps, as well as sensitization, stating that all work cannot be done from Abuja or Lagos.

“In order to meet the mandate of the agency, we have embarked on a journey of strengthening the processes through establishment, implementation and continual improvement of the quality management system.

“This is about thinking of customers first and the quality of management system had transitioned over years to a robust platform for institutionalising resourceful leadership.

“Also evidence based decision making and engagement of a trained and competent workforce for effective customer focus delivery of regulatory activities,” she said.

The director-general, on the other hand, stated that Kwara was the first of seven state offices under construction to be completed and inaugurated, with the others being Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Yobe.

“The building was built to help achieve our mandate, apart from offices, there is a mini hall for staff training and sectorial groups interaction, enlightenment and sensitisation.

“This will enhance the activities and operations of the agency with in the state, thereby contributing to economic growth and well being of the people in Kwara,” she said.

Mrs Adeyeye thanked the state government and the good people of Kwara for their support and looked forward for more support.

Dr Muftau Yahaya, Acting Chairman of NAFDAC, stated that the agency had reached maturity level three in the World Health Organization's global birth marking tools.

Mr Yahaya commended the director-general for her resource-oriented and environmental efforts, which he said had earned NAFDAC a place among the world's most respected regulatory bodies.

He explained that the level would help the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria and other food industry trade their products worldwide.

The acting chairman said that the agency had started working tirelessly to attain level four and sustain the developmental strides.

Mr Yahaya revealed that the agency's governing board had decided to decentralize the laboratory unit, with two laboratories in each of the six geopolitical zones, in addition to other planned interventions.

Rose Ajayi, the NAFDAC Coordinator for the South West Zone, explained that she began the project while serving as the Kwara Coordinator.

Ms Ajayi stated that the director-first general's visit to the state in 2018 aided them in meeting their goal of starting construction in 2020 and handing over in 2021.

In the presence of the State Coordinator, Kenneth Azikwe, members of staff, other sister agencies, and stakeholders, the acting chairman and director-general of the agency inaugurated the new state office.