NAFDAC Cracks Down on Fake Drugs Worth N100 Trillion in Anambra
By: Anambranews.ng
Awka, Nigeria – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake, substandard, and falsified pharmaceutical products seized in a recent operation in Onitsha and Aba. The destruction exercise, which took place at the Anambra State Waste Management Agency’s dump site in Awka on Friday, was conducted in line with standard disposal procedures.
NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, who supervised the destruction, disclosed that 100 containers of counterfeit and banned drugs valued at N100 trillion were confiscated during the operation. She was represented at the event by Martin Iluyomade, Director of Southeast Zonal Operations.
According to Adeyeye, the magnitude of banned psychoactive substances and falsified drugs discovered was alarming, as it had the potential to destabilize an entire country. She stressed the urgent need to permanently end the circulation of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.
“Fake medicines lead to treatment failures, preventable deaths, and severe economic losses, particularly for vulnerable patients who rely on these drugs,” Adeyeye stated.
She further revealed shocking discoveries made during the operation, including medicines meant for pregnant women that require cold storage being kept in oven-hot conditions. She linked such negligence to Nigeria’s high childbirth mortality rates and emphasized the need for strict compliance with pharmaceutical regulations.
“It is disheartening that banned drugs with harmful effects, including unapproved medicines like tramadol and other psychoactive substances, are still in circulation,” she lamented.
Although the one-month-long operation resulted in the closure of some markets, Adeyeye reassured the public that NAFDAC’s enforcement efforts would continue until fake drugs are eradicated. She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that all medicines in circulation are safe, effective, and certified for public use.
NAFDAC expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, Anambra State Government, security agencies, and the media for their unwavering support in the fight against counterfeit drugs.
The agency has urged the public to report suspicious pharmaceutical products to relevant authorities as part of the collective effort to safeguard public health in Nigeria.
For more updates on health and safety regulations in Anambra, stay connected with AnambraNews.ng.
