The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have agreed to strengthen their joint oversight of pharmaceutical and consumable products manufactured within the Free Trade Zones (FTZ).

A statement by yesterday’s Head Corporate Communications, NEPZA, Martins Odeh, said the two regulatory agencies decided on a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to her counterpart, the Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, in Abuja.

Adeyeye said her visit was intended to strengthen cooperation and partnerships that could help NAFDAC perform its regulatory functions, including overseeing the importation, exportation, production and distribution of pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics by entities in free trade zones.

“I wish to, on behalf of my team of directors, express our appreciation to you and your team for this kind gesture in welcoming us.

“Let me, however, state that we must view this meeting as a responsibility we have to the country to protect citizens from fake drugs and consumables that are infiltrating our markets from known and unknown destinations,” she said.

She pointed out that NAFDAC had always insisted on conducting appropriate tests and ensuring compliance with the standard specifications designated and approved by the council to effectively control the quality of regulated products across the relevant industries in Nigeria.

Adeyeye emphasised the importance of the free trade zone scheme to the country’s industrialisation and growth, adding that efforts were needed to streamline and monitor the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and the safety of food exported to the customs territory by entities within the zones.

“NEPZA and NAFDAC can fix this misalignment by jointly insisting on compliance. We can close this gap through excellent facility management and improved inspection across the production lines,’’ Adeyeye said.

On his part, Ogunyemi expressed delight at NAFDAC’s overture to address all the alleged anomalies in the delivery of quality medical supplies and consumables from the free trade zones.

Ogunyemi explained that the scheme, with 63 zones and over 900 enterprises, was an economic gateway for the country’s development, but added, however, that regulating the entities was not without challenges.

“We need a joint effort to address some of the irregularities. We will allow NAFDAC to perform its regulatory functions because the public’s health depends on it,” he said.

According to the NEPZA boss, the authority had always been at the vanguard of disallowing the zones to be used as blind spots for illicit activities.

The highlight of the meeting was confirming an eight-member technical committee to further study the factors that hinder the seamless application of the agencies’ regulatory functions in the free trade zones.