National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday destroyed fake, unwholesome, counterfeit and substandard goods/products worth over N4.2 billion in Awka, Anambra State capital.
Speaking during the exercise that took place at the Anambra State Waste Management Agency, ASWAMA Dumpsite at Umuzocha (by Anambra State secretariat complex), the Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of eradicating fake and other spurious NAFDAC regulated products from circulating in Nigeria.
Adeyeye, who was represented at the event by the Head of Task Force team of the agency, Francis Ononiwu, added that the exercise was a combined South-East and South-South zonal destruction carried out periodically.
She added that the affected products were seized as part of the exercise carried out by the investigative and enforcement team of the agency in various parts of the South-East and South-South zones since 2020.
According to her, “The products were made up of spurious, counterfeited, substandard and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed food products and several other unsafe regulated products seized from various manufacturers, importers and distributors in the combined team of South-East and South-South zones”.
“Among the products are expired, deflective and recalled products voluntarily handed over by compliant companies, non-governmental organisations and market unions in the South-East and South-South zones.
“Investigation and Enforcement Directorate Unit in Asaba, Delta State has enhanced enforcement activities in the South-East and South-South zones and the agency has made several seizures of controlled and banned products being distributed by some unscrupulous elements and causing harm to the public health.”
The NAFDAC boss added that the destruction of the products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the Nigerian market and a proof of the agency’s resolve to safeguard the health of the people.
She thanked the various security operatives and the investigative team of the agency as well as other stakeholders for their collaboration to the success of the exercise.
Some of the products include antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiacs, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, herbal remedies and psychoactive drugs.
Others were banned drugs such as analgin, tramadol(above 100mg), gentamycin 280mg and controlled substances, vaccines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and unwholesome food, among others.
Also present at the exercise were representatives of various trade unions, market leaders, manufacturers and other critical stakeholders in the sector.
A member of the caretaker committee of Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Emmanuel Uchenna Ubache who led others to witness the event, thanked NAFDAC, saying, “We appreciate what the agency is doing in the area of sanitising the health sector and making sure the people that people consume good and genuine products. We are solidly behind the efforts of eradicating the markets of fake products.”