In Kano State, the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed over N613 million worth of counterfeit medicines, cosmetics, and food products.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC, announced this on Thursday in Dambatta, Kano state, at the North-West zonal destruction of false, counterfeit, and unwholesome goods.
Mojisola, who was represented by Mr Kingsly Ejiofor, the agency’s Director of Investigation and Compliance, claimed that the fake goods were confiscated by agency operatives during various operations in the state.
She said the drugs confiscated from producers, dealers, and importers included substandard, fraudulent, and wrongly labeled medications, unwholesome processed food products, and cosmetics.
Expired medications were also voluntarily handed over by complaint firms, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), and the National Association of Proprietary and Patent Medicines Dealers, according to the director general (NAPPMED).
“The estimated value of the products being destroyed today is N613,300,290.00.
“The products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarial, herbal remedies, psychoactive and controlled substances.
“Foods such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, etc, were also destroyed.
“As well as cosmetics such as creams, pomade and insecticides,” she said.
The destruction, she said, would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market, noting that drug counterfeit is an act of economic sabotage and pose serious threat to public health.
According to her, the organization is taking a constructive approach by involving political, traditional, and religious leaders in raising awareness about the risks of substance addiction among their wards.
Nigerians should be wary of fake COVID-19 vaccines infiltrating the nation, according to the head of NAFDAC.
“The public must be on the look-out for these spurious and counterfeit vaccines and other regulated products.
“NAFDAC on its part will ensure continuous surveillance on these products and enforce the regulations governing these products in Nigeria,” Mojisola said.
Although thanking security agencies and other stakeholders for their support, she reaffirmed her commitment to working with relevant regulatory agencies in the future.
Dr Kabiru Ibrahim-Getso, Kano state Commissioner for Environment, praised the agency for its campaign to combat the circulation of counterfeit and substandard goods in the state.
Ibrahim-Getso promised the organization that the government will continue to fund it in order for it to fulfill its mission.
The event was attended by NAFDAC Coordinators from Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Sokoto States, as well as other stakeholders, according to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
