From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Thursday, destroyed fake and unwholesome products worth N1.367 billion in Abuja.
The items destroyed included:
– Drugs: psychoactive and controlled substances, antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, antimalarials, herbal snuff, and herbal remedies, including drugs seized from hawkers
– Food products: cookies, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, and items confiscated from supermarkets with labelling only in foreign languages lacking English translations
– Cosmetics: creams, lotions, pomades, and skin-lightening products confiscated from spas and beauty centres
– Fake chemicals such as Izal, Jik, and medical devices
The Agency confirmed that some products were expired and unwholesome items voluntarily submitted for destruction by NGOs, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Association of Community Pharmacy of Nigeria (ACPN), among others.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Festus Ukadike, led NAFDAC and Security Officials to the Agency’s dumpsite located at Kuje, Abuja, for the destruction exercise.
She told journalists that the destruction exercise was a crucial and routine operation that NAFDAC conducts across all its zonal offices at least once a year, depending on the volume of seizures made by the agency.
The goal was to eliminate substandard, falsified, and expired NAFDAC-regulated products from the supply chain, thus safeguarding public health.
Prof. Adeyeye explained: “In 2024, NAFDAC achieved remarkable progress, making substantial seizures that underscore our commitment to safeguarding public health.
“We carried out several destruction exercises across the zones, including the Investigation and Enforcement Office in Lagos, where products worth over N120 billion of falsified, substandard, and unwholesome food products were destroyed.
“Our relentless pursuit of justice against counterfeiting cartels has also resulted in the seizure of over 6,000 bags of re-bagged rice in the FCT alone. These deceitful cartels aim to exploit and harm the unsuspecting Nigerian populace for economic gain.”
Prof. Adeyeye maintained that NAFDAC has zero tolerance for such activities and has initiated thorough investigations to ensure that all involved face appropriate sanctions.
She assured Nigerians that NAFDAC is fully committed to ensuring that only safe, high-quality, and effective medicines and wholesome food products are available to Nigerian consumers.
She urged all consumers of NAFDAC-regulated products to remain vigilant and be aware of the drugs, cosmetics, food, and other regulated products they purchase, asking them not to hesitate to report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.