The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed the destruction of 135 truckloads of counterfeit and expired products, amounting to approximately N16 billion. The agency’s Inspection and Enforcement Directorate conducted raids across nine states in the southeast and south-south, recovering counterfeit Diageo products valued at over N38 million.
During a media briefing, Director General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye highlighted the directorate’s ongoing efforts in joint inspections, seizures, and destruction of banned or unregistered products. Notably, raids in Lagos State and Abuja led to the confiscation of counterfeited products exceeding N200 million.
Adeyeye shared that NAFDAC underwent a successful audit by the World Health Organisation’s GBT team, focusing on Regulatory Inspection, Market Authorisation, and Laboratory Testing. She emphasized the agency’s commitment to achieving Maturity Level 4 by the next year.
In a bid to ensure global access to pharmaceuticals, NAFDAC facilitated a successful meeting between manufacturers and UNICEF in October 2023, with prospects for future global access. Adeyeye also outlined the agency’s initiatives to lift the ban on food exports, including engagements with UK counterparts and collaboration with sister agencies.
Furthermore, Adeyeye disclosed that the Veterinary Medicines and Allied Products Directorate initiated the ban and phase-out of certain pesticides. Notably, Paraquat is set to be banned by January 1, 2024, followed by Chlorpyrifos on November 1, 2024, and Atrazine on January 1, 2025.
