In its bid to rid Nigeria of expired and counterfeited drugs, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday, destroyed smuggled and expired drugs valued at over N11 billion in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
During the exercise which was carried out at the Moniya dumpsite in the Akinyele Local Government Area, the Director-General of NAFDAC. Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the South-West Zonal Director, Roseline Ajayi, disclosed that the items were seized or forfeited from five South-West states (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State due to its proximity to the zone.
“The destroyed items, collected from five states in the South-West Zone (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State in the North Central Zone, include expired products voluntarily forfeited by those in the drug distribution chain, unregistered and unwholesome products raided from outlets and warehouses, fake and counterfeit drugs, and unregistered imported products smuggled into the country,” she said.
Adeyeye stated that the exercise was part of NAFDAC’s broader mission to safeguard public health and eliminate substandard and harmful products from circulation.
“This destruction exercise is a vital component of NAFDAC’s investigative and enforcement efforts to eliminate unwholesome, substandard, and counterfeit products from the market,” she emphasized, adding that the agency’s use of strategies such as product registration, laboratory testing, inspections, and enforcement actions, were meant to protect consumers.
“Together, we can keep Nigeria safe and free from unwholesome medicinal and regulated products,” she said.