The Kanawa Pharmaceutical Coordinated Wholesale Centre (KPP-CWC) has confiscated counterfeit medicines and contaminated food items valued at over ₦1.3 billion in Kano State.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the Centre’s Superintendent Pharmacist, Furera Ado, revealed that the seizure targeted high-demand items including antimalarials, antibiotics, and analgesics.
According to her, lab analysis showed that 40.3% of the sampled pharmaceutical products failed the Active Ingredient Content test, confirming them as substandard.
Serious Public Health Risk
Ado emphasized that some of the seized drugs had already been handed over to the Kano State Drug Abuse Committee for safe destruction. She warned that if the products had reached the public, they could have resulted in widespread treatment failures and potential fatalities.
She noted that all professional activities within the centre are closely monitored by registered superintendent pharmacists, and plans are underway to recruit more staff for stricter oversight.
“We’ve made significant progress in identifying and seizing fake, adulterated, counterfeit, expired, and illicit drugs. Most importantly, we’ve curtailed their distribution before they could enter the wider market,” she said.
Cold Chain Investment for Drug Safety
Ado also disclosed the acquisition of a WHO-certified cold room from the United States, powered by 24-hour solar energy, to store temperature-sensitive drugs and vaccines.
“The cold room consistently maintains temperatures between +2°C and +8°C and can be adjusted below zero for vaccine preservation,” she said.
Background and Broader Impact
The KPP-CWC is operated by Kanawa Pharmaceutical Partners Limited (KPP), a government-registered Special Purpose Vehicle, in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act 2022 (as amended).
The centre was established under the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform (PCPSR), launched in 2003, to sanitize Nigeria’s chaotic open-market drug hubs in cities like Kano, Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba.
Its goal is to implement the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) by relocating wholesale pharmaceutical trade to centrally regulated and purpose-built facilities.
The KPP-CWC marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s effort to overhaul drug distribution, ensuring drug quality, protecting public health, and offering a model for replication nationwide.
