THE National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake, substandard goods and products worth over N4.2 billion in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The exercise was carried out at the Aswama Dumpsite in Umuzocha, close to the Anambra State secretariat complex, on Friday, May 26.
Some of the products include antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiacs, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, herbal remedies and psychoactive drugs.
Drugs such as analgin, tramadol (above 100mg), gentamycin 280mg and controlled substances, vaccines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and unwholesome food, among others are banned by the regulatory body.
Speaking during the event, the Director-General of NAFDAC Mojisola Adeyeye said the exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of eradicating fake and other spurious products from circulation in Nigeria.
Adeyeye, who was represented at the event by the Head, Task Force team of NAFDAC, Francis Ononiwu, explained that the exercise was a combined South-East and South-South zonal destruction carried out periodically.
According to her, the products were made up of “spurious, counterfeited, substandard and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed food products and several other unsafe regulated products seized from various manufacturers, importers and distributors in the combined team of South-East and South-South zones”.
She also noted that the destruction of the products was to prevent their reintroduction into the distribution chain, adding that the importation, distribution and sales of fake, unsafe and wholesome NAFDAC-regulated products represented a grave onslaught on human life.
Adeyeye said that the agency, by its establishment Act Cap LFN, 2004, was saddled with the responsibility to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs and medical products.
She, therefore, solicited the support and cooperation of stakeholders and the public in order to rid the country of fake medicines and other products.
This wasn’t the first time the agency would be destroying fake drugs worth a multimillion naira amount this year.
On February 17, The ICIR reported that NAFDAC destroyed fake drugs and expired products worth over N326 million in Nasarawa State.
The fake products which were seized from pharmaceutical stores and other business enterprises across the states in the North-Central were destroyed on Thursday, February 16 in Lafia, the state capital.
According to Adeyeye, the drugs were confiscated and destroyed to safeguard the health of the entire citizens of the nation.
The NAFDAC DG said, “It is important to note that the importation, distribution and sales of fake and unsafe products represents a grave onslaught on human life.
“Today, we are witnessing the destruction of various categories of regulated products with estimated street value of N326,833,592.80. These products include medicines, foods, cosmetics, either confiscated or voluntarily handed over by complaint companies, non-governmental organisations or trade unions.”
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M