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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi; Tony John, Port Harcourt; Paul Osuyi, Asaba; Noah Ebije, Kaduna and Igbomuaye Lucky, Benin
In the past few weeks, there has been a resurgence of fake drugs, fake drinks, and fake beverages, among other adulterated products in many markets, drug stores, bars and in other places across the country.
In this report, some Nigerians suggested what some government agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) should do to curb this recurring menace.
NAFDAC, SON should unearth where fake drugs are manufactured – Prince Wiro, journalist, activist
NAFDAC and SON should engage aggressively in grassroots and community sensitisation as many people in the rural areas do not know how to identify fake drinks and drugs let alone the risk of taking it. NAFDAC and SON should create mechanism of reporting where fake drinks and drugs are manufactured by providing numbers and other channels like email addresses. Both agencies can also provide a reward system for people who expose manufacturers and distributors of fake drinks and drugs.
NAFDAC and SON should conduct visits to factories, markets – Aniefon Dick, media practitioner
I think NAFDAC and SON are a bit relaxed in discharging their duties in ensuring Nigerians don’t consume what is harmful to their health. First and foremost, NAFDAC and SON should go to the drawing board, and map out strategies completely different from the pattern they operated before to curb these menace. They should always go to the field and investigate the products brought in by importers to ascertain if they are fit for consumption and good for our health. They should partner more with the association of importers and sensitize them or better still let them know that Nigerians bear the brunt in health of whatever they import or produce irrespective of the profits in view.
Periodic visits to factories where goods are produced, shops, supermarkets to checkmate all these fake products especially drugs are very important.
The fight has to be total – Davies Iheamnachor, media practitioner
Firstly, NAFDAC and SON should begin process of carrying out far reaching and expressive sensitisation on the people of Nigeria. A lot cannot differentiate between the fake and original drinks. If people would know the difference on their own they would avoid purchasing them.
There should be a holistic fight against the production of fake drinks. If those who are involved are apprehended and properly prosecuted others would shun the act. The fight has not been total.
NAFDAC, SON must wake up from slumber-Elder John Fwah, community leader
NAFDAC and SON should wake up from slumber and address escalating cases of fake drinks and drugs in the country. The return of fake drinks and drugs in Nigerian outlets should not come to us Nigerians as a surprise as many Nigerians are aware that the demand for these items are high. Without mincing words, Mrs Dora Akunyili of blessed memory might have gone with the magic wand of the war against fake drugs and drinks of which she won accolades at home and abroad. These agencies are not living as their names implies, because the quantity of fake drugs and drinks have more than doubled or tripled in recent times. They should redouble their efforts at clamping down on unlicensed and unauthorised dealers and vendors who dot every nook and cranny, especially motor parks.
NAFDAC and SON should go back to monitoring as they used to do – Joel Agada, health worker.
In the past, NAFDAC and SON used to go round the pharmaceutical shops and provision shops to check and to fish out fake drugs. But these days, it’s like they are not doing it anymore and that’s why you see a lot of fake drugs and drinks in the market. It’s not only in drugs and drinks, even some detergents and other food products in the market are fake; biscuits, among others, many of them are no longer what we used to see. They need to step up, they must go back to monitoring like they used to do before to ensure that the shops and markets are rid of fake drugs and fake food products. All these premature deaths are linked to these fake products, so there is need to step up their games.
NAFDAC and SON should ensure proper monitoring of markets and shops – Dr Ushakuma Anenga, NMA chairman, Benue
The menace of fake drugs and counterfeit products have been a problem in the country for a long time now. From drugs to beverages to other food stuff, people are patronising substandard products as companies who produce quality drugs are folding up and leaving the country following our economic challenges.
NAFDAC and SON needs to up their game by ensuring proper monitoring of the markets and shops. They also need to sensitize the general public and create awareness on how to identify and patronise only genuine products.
Those producing fake drugs, drinks should face death sentence – Patrick Ochei, activist
Hardly can one trust any drink or drug now that is bought in the open market and even stores. It is not enough for NAFDAC and SON to be issuing registration numbers or codes to products; there must be effective monitoring of products in circulation. Let it even for once be passed as law, that anybody found culpable of producing fake drugs or drinks should face death sentence. This should be the punitive measure to curb this menace, at least too, to act as deterrent to others thinking in that direction for future business ventures.
NAFDAC, SON should monitor markets for fake products – Patricia Gbemudu, civil servant
NAFDAC and SON should stop giving out numbers without proper examination of the product and the company producing it. Again, people just come up with company name and money to get licensed. I believe that NAFDAC is after the money. Rather, they should intensify efforts to know more about the company, know about the product. SON should know more about the standard in terms of ingredients used for production of both consumables and non-consumables. Again, there should be something like security code which people can easily identify the NAFDAC number with. There should be this QR code that can be scanned, when you scan it, you can actually identify that the product is NAFDAC approved, that it is registered and that it is genuine. We don’t want a situation whereby you pick up a product, you see different numbers, some are written in alphabets. Then the markets should be routinely monitored and checked by NAFDAC and SON, not to go and extort but to do the right thing.
NAFDAC and SON should get a taskforce to monitor fake drugs, drinks – Oghenekaro Awodeha, journalist
The issue of fake drinks and drugs is becoming really worrisome. The other day, I was a victim of fake wine. I think NAFDAC and SON should go back to when they had a task force that conducted unscheduled visits to both key distributors and retailers of these products and check what they are selling out to the public. When those selling these fake items know their stores can be visited and raided anytime, it will instil fear in them and thus reduce the influx of these fake drinks and drugs.
Workers of these agencies should purge themselves of corruption – Jude Ojiugo-Onochie, activist
NAFDAC and SON are not doing the right thing. They ought to sweep the fake drinks, fake drugs out of circulation.
They are not up to the task, and that makes fake products to circulate. What makes the two institutions to be weak is corruption and a nonchalant attitude to work. They will say ‘I will not be the one to put things in order, let me make my money and leave the place. Let another person come and mop up the fake drugs and drinks out of circulation.’ In addition, the workers are not committed and patriotic. They will say ‘don’t carry government work on your head, put it on your shoulder, and if it is heavy, you drop it.’ That means you should fold your hands and see evil prevail. The workers of these agencies should purge themselves of corruption.
NAFDAC and SON should create portals for people to report dealers of fake drugs, drinks – Kadiri Christopher, media practitioner
The re-emergence of fake drugs, drinks and other products in the Nigerian markets is alarming. I think NAFDAC and SON should open up portals for people to report those who specialise in manufacturing fake products and shipping them to the markets for Nigerians to buy and to consume. Also, Nigerians should avoid buying items from the roadsides shops but to walk into the mall to buy their beverages or registered pharmacies to buy their drugs to avoid buying fake products.
NAFDAC and SON should set up intelligence gathering departments – Chris Ezenwa Anokam, legal practitioner
The regulatory agencies need to have a synergy with the immigration and customs to see that these fake products don’t enter through our borders and when these are manufactured in Nigeria, these agencies should have their intelligence gathering departments wherein they gather intelligence to know where they are manufactured and seal them off, destroy and persecute the offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
NAFDAC and SON should embark on enlightenment campaigns – Andy Egbon, journalist
The issue of fake drugs and beverages is not new in the country. The only thing is that, the spotlight has not been there. What these regulatory agencies can do is that, they should embark on more enlightenment campaigns to educate the masses on the dangers and report those involved in this act to the regulatory agencies for adequate sanctions.
