National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
NAFDAC · Nigeria · africa
Nigeria's national agency for food and drug administration and control — leech-specific regulatory pathway has not been independently verified by ASH.
Regulatory Profile
- Agency type
- national regulator
- Region
- africa
- Country
- Nigeria
- Leech status
- unregulated
- Last ASH review
- 2026-05-25
- Website
- https://www.nafdac.gov.ng
Relevant Regulation Codes
- NAFDAC Act (Cap N1 LFN 2004)
- Nigerian national medical-device regulatory framework
Prescriber Requirements
- MDCN (Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria)-registered MD prescription required
- Traditional medicine practitioner scope under the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Council framework for hirudotherapy not independently verified by ASH
Supply Chain & GMP
NAFDAC product registration if classified as a medical device; English-language labelling.
Import/Export Rules
NAFDAC import permit plus Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services for live invertebrates; CITES Appendix II paperwork.
Reimbursement Context
NHIA (National Health Insurance Authority) coverage for hirudotherapy not independently verified by ASH.
ASH Editorial Notes
Nigeria has a federal traditional medicine policy under the Federal Ministry of Health and a Traditional Medicine Council; the specific regulatory status of medicinal leeches has not been independently verified by ASH.
Related Jurisdictions
EDA — Egypt
Egypt's Egyptian Drug Authority (formed 2019, replacing the older CAPA / Central Administration of Pharmaceutical Affairs) — leech therapy regulated as a medical device with parallel traditional-medicine context.
SAHPRA — South Africa
South Africa's SAHPRA (created 2018, replacing the Medicines Control Council) — leech therapy regulated as a medical device under the Medicines and Related Substances Act; traditional-health practitioners under separate THP Council.
WHO — Global (United Nations specialised agency)
Global health authority — Hirudo medicinalis listed in the WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants (informational) and embedded in the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 and 2025–2034 successor.
DMP Morocco — Morocco
Morocco's Directorate of Medicines and Pharmacy under the Ministry of Health — leech-specific regulatory pathway has not been independently verified by ASH.