Nigeria’s Customs Service has reinforced its alliance with the country’s drug regulatory agency in a bid to stamp out counterfeit and unsafe medicines, handing over expired pharmaceuticals valued at ₦3.7 billion.

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A (FOU A) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it would deepen cooperation with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to protect public health and align with global standards.

Comptroller Muhammed Shuaibu, who heads the unit, said the partnership reflects the priorities of Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi, who has pushed for stronger inter-agency collaboration since assuming office.
“When our CGC first assumed office, he emphasised consolidation and collaboration,” Shuaibu said during a courtesy visit by NAFDAC officials on Tuesday. “Our synergy is not just with NAFDAC but with every government agency. Whatever agreement is signed at the top, we at the strategic level follow it up. The truth is, there is an urgent need to eradicate substandard products.”

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, praised Adeniyi’s leadership, calling him “a man with excellence in his DNA.” He noted that Adeniyi’s vision had enabled both agencies to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at tightening border checks and preventing harmful products from entering Nigerian markets.

Dr. Olakunle Olaniran, Director of Ports Inspection at NAFDAC, stressed the agency’s commitment to international best practices, warning that importers of fake or falsified drugs would soon find their illicit trade unsustainable. “There is no room for importing falsified products anymore,” he said. “Perpetrators will have no choice but to channel their income to legitimate businesses.”

The event concluded with Shuaibu formally transferring the seized expired pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC, underlining what both agencies described as a renewed and determined front against counterfeit medicines.