By The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, expired and substandard regulated products valued at more than ₦1.8 billion at the Kuje dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The destruction exercise, carried out on Friday, involved the incineration of counterfeit medicines, banned sachet alcohol, expired pharmaceuticals, fake chemicals and other unsafe products confiscated across Abuja and neighbouring areas.
According to the agency, some of the products were also voluntarily handed over by companies, non-governmental organisations and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN).
Speaking during the exercise, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, warned that counterfeit drug syndicates now employ advanced cloning techniques to imitate genuine products.
He noted that the development has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to identify fake products from authentic ones.
Iluyomade further disclosed that the agency recently intercepted several containers of suspicious products falsely declared to evade detection at the nation’s ports. He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among regulatory and security agencies, alongside increased public vigilance, to tackle the menace of counterfeit products.
NAFDAC stated that the destruction exercise was aimed at ensuring that seized products do not find their way back into circulation.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml, warning that traders found in possession of such products risk prosecution and other enforcement actions.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to avoid patronising suspiciously cheap medicines and regulated products, while encouraging the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the agency’s call centre.
The agency disclosed that the exercise formed part of its continued efforts to safeguard public health and rid the market of unsafe products.
