By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed fake and expired medicines, unwholesome food and cosmetics worth N515,732.587 in a North East. In a release made available to newsmen in Abuja, the destroyed products consists of substandard and falsified medicines, unwholesome processed food products, unsafe cosmetics, and other counterfeit regulated products seized from importers and and manufacturers in the North Eastern states of the country. Products destroyed included various quantities of medicines like antibiotics, herbal remedies and anti- diabetic drugs.
The food products such as Noodles, palm oil, vegetable oil, ogogoro l( local gin), non alcoholic beverages, sachet water among others were destroyed.
Cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and chemicals such as fake insecticides, fertilizers were destroyed , medical devices like disposable syringe, IV given set and PPE as well as imported falsified packaging materials for counterfeiting various regulated products were also destroyed.
Also expired NAFDAC regulated products voluntarily handed over to the agency by complaint companies like GSK Pharma, Ogba, Lagos and non governmental organizations within the zone were also set ablaze.
Speaking in Gombe State during the exercise NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye who was represented by the NAFDAC Bauchi State Coordinator Mrs Dayilim Josephine put an estimated street value of the destroyed products as N515, 732.587 and said that the exercise was necessary in order to safeguard the health and well-being of all Nigerians.
The products were destroyed by the Investigation and Enforcement ,I&E, team of the agency. Adeyeye expressed happiness that the products destroyed could have found their way back to the markets with the resultant consequences.
She commended the collaborative efforts of sister agencies like Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON, NDLEA, DSS amongst others towards the realization of NAFDAC’s mandate of ridding the nation of counterfeit products that are inimical to the health and wellbeing of the Nigerian populace.
The DG noted that the exercise was in line with one of the Agency’s strategies aimed at eradicating incidences of fake drugs and unwholesome NAFDAC regulated products from the Nigeria market.
During the exercise a total of 240.15 tons were received from the North East states like Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Taraba were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the NAFDAC DG has urged Nigerians to be mindful of counterfeit COVID- 19 vaccines in circulation in Africa and reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to continuous surveillance of these products while enforcing regulations governing these products in the country.
