NAFDAC Destroys Expired, Fake Products Worth N650m

Officials of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired and fake pharmaceutical products worth N650 million in Kaduna State.

The agency says it is committed to ridding Nigeria of counterfeit and unwholesome drugs towards in order to ensure the protection of lives of the citizens.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Christiana Adeyeye said there would be no sacred cows in the fight against counterfeit drugs and substandard food products.

Speaking after setting the contraband products ablaze on Friday, the Acting North West zonal director of the agency, Dauda Gimba, who represented Adeyeye described the production of fake drugs as an act of terrorism and economic sabotage against public health.

“The destruction of these items will eliminate the risk of their recirculation into the Nigerian market. Drug counterfeiting is an act of terrorism and economic sabotage against public health.

“The products being destroyed today are made up of substandard and falsely labelled medicines, unwholesome food products, cosmetics and other counterfeit products seized by the agency from manufacturers, importers and distributors. The estimated street value of the products is N650 million

“Also, expired drugs voluntarily handed over by agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), non-governmental organizations, trade unions, pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the National Association of Proprietary and Patent Medicine Dealers are included in this exercise.”

Gimba added that the ban on codeine was still in force and the agency is prepared to restore sanity in the health sector in the country.

The agency also urged Nigerians to remain alert, and stop patronising street hawkers, whom they call merchants of death, as well as to always check the labels of all consumables.