The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard products worth ₦20 billion on Thursday at its South-West Zonal Destruction Flag-off Ceremony, held at the Moniya Dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Director General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who led the exercise, stated that the destruction was part of NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the health of Nigerians and prevent the reintroduction of unsafe and falsified products into circulation.
Adeyeye was represented by Pharmacist Uba Florence N, Deputy Director Pharmaceuticals Investigation and Enforcement, NAFDAC, Apapa, Lagos.
The DG described the event as a routine regulatory measure in line with the agency’s mandate to eliminate substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome food, illicit drugs, unsafe cosmetics, and other violative items.
“This exercise is aimed at ensuring that expired, falsified, and unwholesome NAFDAC-regulated products never find their way back into our markets or homes,” she said.
According to her, the items destroyed comprised substandard and falsified medicines, unsafe processed foods and additives, counterfeit cosmetics, and other expired products seized from manufacturers, importers, and distributors across the South-West.
Adeyeye disclosed that the destruction also included damaged and expired items voluntarily handed over by compliant companies, non-governmental organisations, and trade unions, a gesture she commended as evidence of growing industry responsibility.
She expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its consistent collaboration, noting that the agency recently handed over 25 containers of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals for destruction, including a reefer container.
The NAFDAC boss also lauded the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for their sustained support in the nationwide campaign against counterfeiters.
Adeyeye, who restated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on fake and unwholesome products, urged Nigerians to avoid patronising quacks and unauthorised medicine dealers, warning that such actions endanger lives.
“We call on community leaders, health practitioners, religious figures, and the media to help educate the public about the dangers of fake and substandard drugs. This fight is a collective responsibility,” she said.
The destruction exercise, witnessed by representatives of security agencies, health institutions, and civil society groups, reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians consume only safe and high-quality regulated products.
In other news, NAFDAC has unveiled a revised National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified (SF) Medical Products, aimed at strengthening the integrity of Nigeria’s medical supply chain and safeguarding public health.
The new framework emphasises proactive measures to enhance quality assurance systems through public education, strengthened regulation, and inter-agency collaboration, while introducing early warning mechanisms to detect and track falsified or substandard medicines promptly.
