The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has exposed a shocking truth – more than half of the certificates issued for pharmaceutical products imported into Nigeria are fake.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, made this announcement during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Abuja. The meeting aimed to ensure that medical products circulating in the country meet the necessary quality standards and are safe and effective.
Adeyeye highlighted the threat posed by substandard and falsified products to access to affordable and dependable medicines, undermining progress towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
She explained that Nigeria, along with other African countries, had collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement quality assurance measures and guarantee that products entering the region are of high quality. The Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP), issued in accordance with WHO recommendations, serves as a guarantee of the quality and status of the pharmaceutical product being exported.
“We have 55 nations in Africa and we have a place with the part states worldwide and we consented to guarantee that items coming to the district are of value and WHO made a plan called declaration of drug item, and this means in the event that we send a testament of drug item out to another country, we are guaranteeing the getting country that it will be of value.
“A large portion of our drugs come from South East Asia and we have a place with the part states as well.
“We have a plan where before drugs that were endorsed leave that region of the planet, we do pre-shipment testing, and that accompanies CPP to guarantee us of value, however that isn’t true, on the grounds that through our plan we have had the option to stop by 140 items that were supported from coming in.” she stated.
However, Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC’s investigations had uncovered a startling truth – more than 50% of the CPPs obtained for products imported into Nigeria were counterfeit. She emphasized that tackling this issue requires the cooperation of all member states involved, as they work together to ensure the supply of quality medicines.
To address this grave concern, NAFDAC is adopting a stringent approach to screening and testing, leaving no room for corner-cutting or compromise. Adeyeye assured stakeholders that NAFDAC has already blacklisted numerous companies and imposed sanctions to uphold the dignity and safety of Nigerian citizens. Any company suspected of compromising quality standards will be dealt with swiftly, with on-the-spot inspections and potential closure if necessary.
The prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in Africa has become a major threat to public health.
Adeyeye stressed that regulatory agencies across the continent need to strengthen their processes to control the market effectively. “NAFDAC, driven by its mandate, is committed to reducing the presence of substandard and falsified medicines both in locally manufactured products and imports.
“With the prevention, detection, and response approach, NAFDAC is working tirelessly to fight this grave issue.” she noted.
However, Adeyeye emphasized that addressing the problem requires a collective effort and partnership to identify loopholes and weaknesses to combat effectively.out lapses so we can fight it,” she stated.
