NAFDAC, PCC unite against fake drugs, unwholesome products

.... As the DG reaffirmed NAFDAC's commitment to ensuring that regulated products available in the country are safe, wholesome, efficacious, of consistent quality and compliant with established regulatory standards.

“We came here primarily to commend you and commend your efforts and passion in tackling the menace of fake drugs and unwholesome products in Nigeria." Abubakar 

.... Says "the PCC, as Nigeria's Ombudsman office, receives complaints from members of the public and stakeholders across various sectors, both within and outside the country."

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the Public Complaints Commission, PCC, have strengthened their resolve to deepen inter-agency collaboration in the fight against counterfeit, substandard and unwholesome regulated products in Nigeria.

The commitment was renewed yesterday when the Chief Commissioner of the PCC, Hon. Bashir Abubakar, led a delegation of the Commission on a courtesy visit to the NAFDAC Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

Receiving the delegation, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, said intelligence sharing and collaboration among government institutions remained critical to protecting public health and tackling the circulation of fake and substandard regulated products.

Adeyeye particularly congratulated Abubakar on his earlier recognition with the NAFDAC Integrity Award in 2018, following his role in providing critical intelligence that contributed to the interception of 41 containers of tramadol at a Nigerian port.

According to her, the incident underscored the importance of strategic intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation in regulatory enforcement.

The NAFDAC boss, in a statement issued and signed by Adegboyega Osiyemi, Deputy Director, Public Relations Unit of the Agency, listed the Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; National Orientation Agency, NOA; Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN; and the Nigeria Police Force, among others, as institutions with which the agency has established strategic partnerships.

She said such collaborations had been instrumental in curbing the importation, distribution and circulation of counterfeit medicines, unwholesome food products and other substandard regulated products.

Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC's commitment to ensuring that regulated products available in the country are safe, wholesome, efficacious, of consistent quality and compliant with established regulatory standards.

She stressed that regulatory compliance was at the heart of the agency's mandate because of the direct consequences of regulated products on the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians.

“NAFDAC is a complex agency that deals with the public 24/7. There is hardly anybody who does not consume one or more NAFDAC-regulated products everyday,” she said.

The Director-General further explained that NAFDAC's operations were anchored on compliance with national and international regulatory standards, stressing that lapses in regulation could have fatal consequences.

“If there is no compliance in NAFDAC, a child may die, a pregnant woman may die, and a man or a woman living with hypertension may die. Our job in NAFDAC is about life and death. That is why we have international guidelines and standards,” she said.

On the agency's regulatory progress, Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC was working towards attaining Maturity Level 4 under the World Health Organisation, WHO, Global Benchmarking framework, after overcoming significant regulatory gaps to attain Level 3.

She recalled that in 2018, the agency had 200 indicators and 800 recommendations to close or satisfy before it could attain WHO Maturity Level 3.

“In 2018, NAFDAC had 200 indicators and 800 recommendations to close or satisfy before we could get to Maturity Level 3 during the WHO benchmarking. We closed the gaps, and we were given Maturity Level 3. Today, we are working towards Maturity Level 4,” she stated.

Adeyeye said attaining higher regulatory maturity would strengthen the international acceptability of products manufactured and approved by NAFDAC, while also improving confidence in Nigeria's regulatory system.

She explained that NAFDAC's mandate extended beyond safeguarding public health, noting that effective regulation also had implications for economic development through support for local pharmaceutical and manufacturing capacity, facilitation of international trade and creation of employment opportunities.

“NAFDAC is focused. We are not there yet, but we are compliant. The Agency is not only doing regulation to safeguard public health; we are also doing regulation for the survival of our country,” the DG said

Earlier, PCC Chief Commissioner, Bashir Abubakar, said the delegation visited NAFDAC primarily to appreciate and commend the agency and its Director-General for their efforts in tackling the menace of counterfeit medicines and unwholesome products.

“We came here primarily to commend you and commend your efforts and passion in tackling the menace of fake drugs and unwholesome products in Nigeria,” he said.

Abubakar explained that the PCC, as Nigeria's Ombudsman office, receives complaints from members of the public and stakeholders across various sectors, both within and outside the country.

He said complaints within the Commission's mandate were handled appropriately, while those outside its jurisdiction were referred to the relevant authorities, with follow-up actions undertaken to ensure that feedback was obtained.

The Chief Commissioner also commended Adeyeye for her public enlightenment and media engagement initiatives, saying sustained communication was important to improving citizens' understanding of NAFDAC's regulatory responsibilities.

He urged the agency to continue building a regulatory system that would command respect and serve as a deterrent to violations.

“By building a system, those who follow due process and have integrity will respect you, while people on the other side will fear you,” Abubakar said.

He further called for an expansion of NAFDAC's inter-agency collaboration framework to include the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC; Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA; National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW; and the Nigerian Shippers' Council.

According to him, broader collaboration among the institutions would strengthen intelligence gathering, monitoring and enforcement across the supply chain and provide a more comprehensive approach to combating counterfeiting and the circulation of substandard and unwholesome products.

The visit, according to the two institutions, underscored their shared commitment to stronger institutional collaboration, regulatory compliance and the protection of the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Signed:Mr. Adegboyega Osiyemi

Deputy Director, Public Relations Unit, Abuja.