The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Wednesday destroyed expired products, unregistered and unwholesome products, fake and counterfeit products, and unregistered imported products smuggled into the country worth ₦10,991,458,374.60.
The destruction carried out at the Akinyele Dump site, Ibadan, was witnessed by key stakeholders, including the Chairman of the Oyo State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Akin Fagbemi; officials from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria; and other agencies.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the South-West Zonal Director of the agency, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, said that the destruction was a function of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate and to mop up unwholesome, substandard, fake, and counterfeit regulated products from circulation so as to safeguard the health of the Nigerians.
She stated that the items destroyed were collected from the five states of the Southwest Zone (excluding Lagos) of the agency and Kwara, in the North Central Zone (because of proximity) to the Southwest Zone.
Prof. Adeyeye declared, “These items include expired products that were voluntarily forfeited by those in the drug distribution channel, unregistered and unwholesome products raided from different outlets and warehouses, fake and counterfeit, as well as unregistered imported products smuggled into the country.
“The worth of what is being destroyed today is estimated to be N10,991,458,374.60. The purpose of this public destruction is to convey a strong signal that all items being confiscated by the agency are not being diverted for personal use, assure the public that unwholesome products are being removed from circulation, and prevent them from being reinjected back into circulation.”
According to her, the destruction under close monitoring by the Oyo State Government is to reduce the impact of pollution on the environment.
The DG, however, called on Nigerians to join hands to keep Nigeria safe and free from unwholesome, substandard, fake, and counterfeit medicinal and other regulated products.
‘’As a matter of fact, every Nigerian is expected to be an ambassador of NAFDAC, joining hands with the agency in the bid to sanitise the food and drug sector in Nigeria.”
In a remark, the Chairman of the Oyo State Hospital Management Board, Dr Akin Fagbemi, commended NAFDAC for the open destruction of the items and described it as a show of the government’s aptness to ensure that the health of Nigerians is safeguarded.
“For us as the Oyo State Hospital Management Board, things like this are very important. It will send a strong signal to people who think that they can use Oyo State as an abhorring ground for unwholesome or counterfeit drugs to operate. The government will continue collaborating with NAFDAC and ensure that things like this are destroyed.”
The NAFDAC Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mohammed Shaba, said the agency had destroyed unwholesome products worth N98.6 billion in 2024.
