The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr Mojisola Adeyeye, says the removal of the agency’s personnel from ports was responsible for the influx of fake, substandard and unregistered products in Nigeria.
Dr Adeyeye, stated this during the agency’s 2022 budget defence with the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services.
She said the agency, which is responsible for controlling and regulating what is imported and exported, was removed from the ports from 2011 to 2018.
The DG, revealed that this led to the emergence of those behind the influx of fake and substandard drugs into the country.
“This is what we sleep with and wake up with in terms of making sure that the health of our people is safe guarded. From 2011 to May 16, 2018, NAFDAC was removed from the ports and we are supposed to be controlling and regulating what is imported and what is exported. For seven years, we were absent and cabals were formed. We cannot undo the cabals overnight. That is why it has been extremely challenging for the last three and a half years. The federal task force is domiciled in NAFDAC, we are putting a lot of money on enforcement.
Dr Adeyeye, stressed the need to increase the agency’s personnel to guard the borders and help to combat drug trafficking.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr Tanko Sununu, charged the agency to conduct nationwide market surveillance.
According to the lawmaker, the last time such surveillance was conducted was in 2012, adding that the country cannot afford to allow fake and substandard drugs to be sold in recognized locations.
Reporting by Ibrahim Shehu;Editing by Daniel Adejo