The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, expired, substandard and other unwholesome regulated products valued at more than ₦1.8 billion at the Kuje dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory.
The destruction exercise involved the incineration of counterfeit medicines, banned sachet alcohol, expired pharmaceuticals, fake chemicals and other unsafe products seized across Abuja and neighbouring areas.
The agency said some of the destroyed items 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, Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, warned that counterfeit drug syndicates were adopting sophisticated cloning methods to imitate genuine products.
According to him, the growing use of advanced counterfeiting techniques has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish fake products from authentic ones.
Iluyomade disclosed that the agency recently intercepted several containers of suspicious products falsely declared at the ports in an attempt to evade detection.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among regulatory and security agencies, as well as increased public vigilance, to combat the circulation of fake and unsafe products.
NAFDAC said the destruction exercise was part of its commitment to ensuring that seized products do not find their way back into the market.
The agency also reiterated its determination to enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200 millilitres, warning that traders found in possession of such products would face enforcement actions and prosecution.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to avoid purchasing suspiciously cheap medicines and regulated products, advising members of the public to report suspected counterfeit activities to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the agency’s call centre.
