On Wednesday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) obliterated counterfeit and expired products exceeding ₦500 million in value in Abuja.
While addressing the operation, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, mentioned that certain items had been voluntarily submitted to NAFDAC. Represented by Francis Ononiwu, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, the D-G emphasized that such exercises are routinely conducted across the country.
The head of NAFDAC explained that the disposal of these products was essential to prevent their potential re-entry into the supply chain. Adeyeye provided a list of the destroyed items, including pharmaceuticals containing psychoactive and controlled substances such as antibiotics, antihypertensive medications, antimalarials, herbal snuff, herbal remedies, and drugs seized from street vendors.
Furthermore, she enumerated food items like spaghetti, vegetable oil, and non-alcoholic beverages, which encompassed a 1 by 40ft container of unregistered Faurecia instant powdered milk surrendered to the agency by the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS).
In addition, there were cosmetics, comprising creams, lotions, and pomades, as well as skin-lightening creams confiscated from spas and beauty centers. The inventory also included counterfeit insecticides and medical devices among the seized chemicals.
Moreover, expired and substandard items were voluntarily relinquished for disposal by various entities, including companies with complaints, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the Association of Community Pharmacy of Nigeria (ACPN). According to the NAFDAC chief, the collective estimated street value of these disposed products stands at ₦535,000,657.00.
“I have said it on several platforms that drug counterfeiting is an act of economic sabotage, and it also represents a serious threat to public health, and NAFDAC under my watch has been repositioned to fight this menace.
” The agency has adapted proactive approach by engaging political, traditional, faith leaders, journalists and other Nigerians to sensitise their wards on the dangers of dealing on substandard and falsified medicine.
“I wish to use this medium to urge all and sundry to be on the look-out for spurious and counterfeit medicines, unwholesome foods and other regulated products and reports same to NAFDAC,” she said.
Isiaku Gamajira, the FCT Coordinator of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), emphasized that NAFDAC is a partner agency in product regulation, which is why SON was present at the event. He highlighted that a significant number of individuals lack the necessary knowledge to obtain certification for their products, and this knowledge gap is a key factor behind the rejection of many Nigerian goods overseas.
“We are aware of government policy on zero rejection of Nigeria products, we have a policy called product certification in which a certificate is issued on products made in Nigeria that are to be exported.
“In doing all these, we ensure that we key in to the principle set up in line with the government of the exporting country, and issue a certificate of performance to avoid Nigeria product rejection when they get to the point of entry.
“We have offices all over the country where information about product certification can be gotten, our addresses are also available online for you to reach out to us.
“We provide people with proper guidance when they approach us, SON has been carrying out its compliance activities among which is the seizure of substandard products. We have just destroyed tyres
“Tyre is a product which lives depend on and SON has a serious interest when it comes to compliance action, seizure in that regards, on September 29, SON destroyed a lot of tyres and these are some of the things we do.
“Most of these tyres are imported, it is our own common wealth, If you see the quantum of what we have destroyed in the last few months, you will be surprised,” Gamajira stated.
Enejoh Amade, Chairman of the FCT Chapter of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), pledged that his organization would maintain its commitment to assisting NAFDAC in eliminating substandard drugs from the country.
He mentioned that the ACPN had collaborated with NAFDAC in this endeavor by contributing expired medications collected from its members.