NAFDAC destroys N1.36bn worth of fake, expired products in Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday destroyed fake, adulterated, and unregistered foods, drugs, and cosmetic products worth approximately N1.36 billion at the Kuje dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In her remark during the exercise, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, described the destruction as a critical routine operation conducted across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

Mrs Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director in her office, Festus Ukadike, said the agency conduct these exercises at least once a year in each zone, depending on the volume of seizures made.

She said the goal is to eliminate substandard, falsified and expired NAFDAC-regulated products from the supply chain.

She noted that NAFDAC achieved remarkable progress in 2024, making substantial seizures that underscore its commitment to safeguarding public health.

“We carried out several destruction exercises across the zones, including Lagos, where products worth over N120bn of falsified, substandard and unwholesome food products were destroyed,” she said.
“Our relentless pursuit of justice against health trafficking cartels has resulted in the seizure of over 6,000 bags of re-bagged rice in the FCT alone.”

She said these deceitful cartels aim to exploit and harm the unsuspecting Nigerian populace for economic gain, noting that NAFDAC has zero tolerance for such activities.

Seized products

Mrs Adeyeye noted that the products destroyed were seized during the agency’s operations in the FCT and surrounding areas, alongside items handed over by compliant companies and organisations.

The products include drugs – Psychoactive and controlled substances, antibiotics, antihypertensives, antimalarials, herbal snuff, and herbal remedies, including drugs seized from hawkers.

Others are food products -Cookies, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, and items from supermarkets with labelling only in foreign languages lacking English translations.

The cosmetics are creams, lotions, pomades, and skin-lightening products confiscated from spas and beauty centres. Others are fake Izal, Jik, and medical devices.

It also included expired and unwholesome products voluntarily submitted for destruction by Non-Governmental Organisations and the Association of Community Pharmacy of Nigeria.

“NAFDAC has significantly ramped up its Post-Marketing Surveillance and Enforcement activities to checkmate the threats posed by counterfeit medicines and foods to national security,” she said.

“The agency is proactively engaging political, traditional, leaders of faith-based organisations and institutions, as well as journalists and the general public, to galvanise support and commitment in the fight against substandard and falsified products.”

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In his remark, the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Ifeanyi Okeke, commended NAFDAC for the destruction of the products.

Mr Okeke, who represented by the FCT Coordinator of SON, Gamagira Mohammed, warned manufacturers, importers, and related parties that non-compliance to regulations will not be tolerated under the renewed hope agenda.