NAFDAC Destroys N15bn Worth of Fake and Expired Drugs in Oyo

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday destroyed counterfeit, expired, substandard, and falsified drugs and products valued at N15 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during the destruction exercise. She was represented by the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade.

Adeyeye reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health by ensuring that food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, packaged water, and beverages are safe and effective for consumption.

“The products destroyed today include expired, counterfeit, unregistered, and banned drugs such as Analgin, Cocodamol, codeine cough syrup, tramadol, oxytocin, and several types of vaccines,” she said. “The estimated street value of these products is put at N15 billion.”

She explained that the destruction exercise was crucial to preventing the re-entry of such harmful products into Nigerian markets. The DG also commended the support of the police, Nigerian Army, DSS, NDLEA, NSCDC, and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, among others.

Adeyeye urged stakeholders to educate their families and communities about the dangers of patronising quacks and unlicensed medicine dealers.

Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, S.K. Tijani highlighted the strong collaboration between Customs and NAFDAC in the fight against fake and substandard products, stressing that all stakeholders must work together to rid the nation of such criminal activities.