The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed over N55 billion worth of counterfeit, banned, substandard, and expired drugs in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, as part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard public health.
The exercise, conducted on Thursday at the Moniya dumpsite in Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan, was aimed at preventing the reintroduction of expired, substandard, and falsified medical devices, as well as other unsafe and unwholesome products regulated by NAFDAC, into circulation. Okay News reports.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, conveyed that the products being destroyed included substandard and falsified medical items, unwholesome processed foods, unsafe cosmetics, counterfeits, and other expired products seized from manufacturers, importers, and distributors. Her statement was delivered by the agency’s Deputy Director, Pharmaceutical Division, Investigation and Enforcement, Papa Lagos, Florence Ubah.
“It is important to state that, up for destruction today are damaged and expired products voluntarily handed over by more than seventy compliant companies, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Trade Unions to the agency,” Adeyeye said. She further revealed that the estimated street value of the items destroyed is N55,436,844,470.
The NAFDAC Director-General also acknowledged the support of security and regulatory agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. She urged religious leaders, community leaders, health practitioners, journalists, and the public to educate their communities on the dangers of patronizing unauthorized medicine and food dealers.
Established under Decree No. 15 of 1993, now the NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004, the agency’s core mission is to protect public health by ensuring that only high-quality food, drugs, and other regulated products are manufactured, imported, and circulated in Nigeria.
