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Manufacturers and distributors of fake and adulterated drugs in Anambra State are in for hard times if the words of the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Anambra State chapter are anything to go by.
The body has vowed that Anambra will no longer serve as a dumping ground for adulterated goods, adding that it will collaborate with the state government to ensure that imported products meet required standards.
Speaking at a two-day statewide stakeholders’ sensitisation seminar with the theme: “Securing Trade Corridors and Unlocking Blue Economy Opportunities,” IMAN’s state Director-General, Obinna Moluokwu, said the association will not relent in its campaign against fake products.
Moluokwu said the seminar, organised in collaboration with the state government, was aimed at promoting safe commerce, strengthening participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and improving the state’s economic competitiveness.
“We have come to fight fake and substandard products found everywhere within the state, and we will not relent in assisting the state government to supervise goods imported into Anambra,” he said.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, represented by Kingsley Ibe, said Federal Government policies were being implemented at the grassroots to improve the lives of Nigerians.
National Patron of IMAN, Dr Augustine Ekweozor, identified security, infrastructure, sound regulation and business opportunities as critical to the growth of commerce.
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He said Anambra’s manufacturing capacity, entrepreneurial base, commercial networks, and waterways provided opportunities for greater participation in the blue economy and AfCFTA.
The NAFDAC state Coordinator, Louis Madubuattah, a pharmacist, stressed the importance of securing trade corridors to prevent infiltration of substandard products, saying, “quality is business.”
Lead paper presenter and Director-General, African Centre for Supply Chain, Dr Obiora Madu, said Anambra had the capacity to become a leading economy in Nigeria, but needed improved logistics to fully realise its potential.
President-General, ASMATA, Humphrey Anuna, praised the seminar, saying it would help check the importation of substandard products into the state.
National Secretary-General, IMAN, Aliyu Yar’adua, thanked the state government, regulators, security agencies, traditional rulers, academia, business leaders, sponsors, and the media for supporting the event.
The seminar featured presentations and discussions by experts from government agencies, academia, the organised private sector, and trade associations. Distinguished personalities and resource persons were also honoured with awards at the event.
