Nigeria not dumping ground for fake drugs – DG NAFDAC warns counterfeiters

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned purveyors of fake and unwholesome food and drug products that Nigeria is not a dumping ground for substandard products.

Revealing that it has intensified partnerships with countries like China and India to ensure that products destined for Nigeria are rigorously tested before shipment, the agency warned counterfeiters that it has devised strategies to protect Nigerians from substandard pharmaceutical products.

NAFDAC gave the warning at the 8th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, ANHEJ, in Abuja.

The Director of Marketing Surveillance of NAFDAC, who represented the Director General of the Agency said unsafe products not only harm consumers but also legitimate businesses within the country, noting that collaborative efforts are essential to stopping the proliferation of substandard goods.

“Pre-shipment testing ensures that only quality products are sent to Nigeria. We have appointed independent analysts in these countries to verify product safety before they leave, reducing the risk of waste and counterfeit items entering our markets.”

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“We are not a dumping ground for substandard products, we have adopted innovative tools with the United States Pharmacopeia, USP, and the World Health Organization, WHO, to identify high-risk areas for product sampling.”

The agency emphasized the need for aggressive post-marketing inspections, as counterfeiters often resist regulatory oversight, saying, post-marketing surveillance is very critical.

The agency revealed that 144 batches of substandard pharmaceutical products were recently intercepted and stopped from entering Nigeria. These efforts, combined with routine post-marketing inspections and consumer complaints, have helped to reduce the prevalence of harmful products in circulation.

It also urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeit products, encouraging local pharmaceutical manufacturing to reduce dependence on imports.