The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria has taken a significant step towards enhancing drug safety and combatting the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General (DG) of NAFDAC, recently introduced the ‘NAFDAC Green Book,’ a comprehensive database featuring 6,432 registered pharmaceutical products. This database aims to enable public access for verifying drugs and ensuring their authenticity before consumption.
Adeyeye highlighted NAFDAC’s relentless efforts to curb the circulation of substandard pharmaceuticals by revealing the destruction of 135 truckloads of fake, counterfeit, and expired products, valuing approximately N16 billion. In a bid to crack down on these illegal activities, the agency conducted raids across nine states in the south-east and south-south regions, seizing counterfeit Diageo products valued at over N38 million. Further raids in Lagos and Abuja resulted in the seizure of counterfeited goods worth more than N200 million.
Attributing the surge in counterfeit drugs to economic challenges, Adeyeye emphasized plans to phase out the production and sales of alcohol in sachets by January 2024. Additionally, NAFDAC is implementing a gradual elimination of harmful insecticides and pesticides to ensure public safety.
The agency recently made headlines for its crackdown on counterfeiters operating in Abia State. During a targeted raid, NAFDAC shut down approximately 240 shops in the Cemetery Road Market, Aba, seizing counterfeit drugs and products valued at over N700 million. Adeyeye underscored the health risks posed by consuming counterfeit goods, urging citizens to remain vigilant while making purchases and emphasizing the importance of patronizing reputable retailers.
Highlighting the success achieved in 2023, Adeyeye mentioned NAFDAC’s engagement with health journalists across various regions to raise awareness about the dangers of bleaching creams. Additionally, she shed light on the agency’s efforts to increase local manufacturing capacity for essential drugs, aiming to reach 35 percent and attain the World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity level 4 by the end of the upcoming year.
However, Adeyeye acknowledged the challenges NAFDAC faces in digitalizing its processes and stressed the agency’s commitment to seeking support from developed countries to overcome these obstacles. She also outlined plans to bolster the agency’s workforce from 2,000 to 12,000 employees, emphasizing ongoing training initiatives to maintain high standards within the organization.
As NAFDAC prepares to launch the accessible drug verification database by January 2024, the agency remains resolute in its mission to safeguard public health and ensure the availability of safe pharmaceutical products across Nigeria.
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