By Hassan Zaggi
The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has disclosed that her agency has, over the past four years, destroyed fake, adulterated, counterfeit, banned and unwholesome products worth over eight billion.
She made the disclosure at a media briefing to mark her fourth year anniversary in Abuja, Tuesday.
She further noted that NAFDAC has arrested and confiscated 25 containers of Tramadol worth one billion, seven hundred and eight million, seven hundred and fifty thousand naira.
“To further protect the health of consumers, the Agency destroyed fake, adulterated, counterfeit, banned and unwholesome NAFDAC Regulated Products worth four billion, two hundred and sixty thousand naira (N8,000,260,000) in exercises across the nation, while also clearing its Apapa warehouses that had been filled to the brim since 2013.
“Interception and destruction of 25 containers of Tramadol worth N1,708,750,000; destruction of more than thirty containers of tramadol and other unregistered products worth more than 198 billion naira on the street’ Three persons involved in the distribution of the banned Tramadol have been arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
“The Agency secured the conviction of one of the distributors and the court ordered the destruction of the seized consignment.
“Shut down of three pharmaceutical companies over poor distribution practice of codeine-containing syrup
“The Agency arraigned the distributor of Codeine cough mixture exposed in a BBC documentary on Codeine abuse aired in May 2018 at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Prior to this, other persons had been arraigned for the sale and distribution of counterfeit Codeine-containing cough mixture.
“The Agency in an unprecedented move initiated the prosecution of an unrepentant advertiser of fake medicines with spurious and unsubstantiated claims in a National daily after a vigorous campaign against such illegal and dangerous activities.
“In 2020, the Agency backlisted two companies from India that falsified a registered product and delisted the Nigerian company involved. In addition, six other local companies were shut down due to resistance to Good Manufacturing Practices compliance.
“To further protect the health of consumers, the Agency destroyed fake, adulterated, counterfeit, banned and unwholesome NAFDAC Regulated Products worth four billion, two hundred and sixty thousand naira (N8,000,260,000) in exercises across the nation, while also clearing its Apapa warehouses that had been filled to the brim since 2013.
“Over 20 prosecutions of people responsible for counterfeiting or trading in substandard falsified medicines have taken place with most of them ongoing with a few fined or sentenced to imprisonment.”
Prof. Adeyeye further explained that as part of efforts towards ensuring substandard foods counterfeited medical products are removed from the market, her Agency has procured 40 units of detection devices that can be used for on-the-spot detection of SFs in the market. NAFDCA will be the only agency in the world to go to this extent to rid the market of SFs.
“Under this regulatory building block, NAFDAC was expected through the WHO Audit to satisfy 76 recommendations in 2018 and has of today fulfilled the requirements,” she said.
Speaking on the contribution of her agency during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Adeyeye said: “Consequently, the Agency to date has granted administrative approvals to 185 alcohol-based sanitizers, 3 face coverings/non-medical mask and one Medical mask.
“It is worthy to state here that during this COVID 19 Pandemic; the Agency instituted the following palliative program for micro and small Enterprises (MSEs): Zero tariffs for first 200 MSEs, within a time lag; 80% reduction in tariffs for registration of MSEs products for a period of 6 months; waivers on admin charges for renewal of expired licenses for products of MSEs for 3 months.
“In compliance with he international best practices and our audit, NAFDAC has fulfilled the 147 recommendations for market authorization. NAFDAC revamped its processing of applications.”
