NAFDAC Destroys Fake and Expired Drugs Worth ₦55bn in Oyo, Targets Illegal Supply Chains
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, prohibited and expired pharmaceutical and regulated products worth over ₦55 billion in Oyo State, PulseNets learnt.
The large-scale disposal exercise took place on Thursday at the Moniya dumpsite in Ibadan, located within Akinyele Local Government Area, as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to safeguard public health.
Addressing stakeholders at the site, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the destruction was designed to permanently eliminate unsafe medicines, medical devices and other regulated products from the Nigerian market. Her address was delivered on her behalf by the Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mrs Florence Ubah, PulseNets reported.
Adeyeye explained that the exercise was critical to preventing confiscated expired, substandard and falsified products from finding their way back into circulation, where they could pose serious health risks to consumers.
According to details obtained by PulseNets, the destroyed items included fake and expired drugs, unsafe cosmetic products, contaminated and unwholesome food items, counterfeit goods, as well as other regulated products seized from manufacturers, importers and distributors across the supply chain.
The NAFDAC chief further disclosed that over 70 companies, non-governmental organisations and trade unions voluntarily submitted damaged and expired products for safe disposal.
“The total estimated market value of the items destroyed today stands at ₦55,436,844,470,” she stated.
Adeyeye also commended the role of security and enforcement agencies in the operation, acknowledging the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), the NDLEA, and other strategic partners for their sustained collaboration in the fight against fake and unsafe products.
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She urged religious and community leaders, healthcare professionals, media practitioners and members of the public to intensify public sensitisation efforts, warning Nigerians against purchasing drugs and food items from unauthorised and unregulated sources.
