The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Monday destroyed N144 million worth of expired, seized, forfeited and unwholesome regulated products in Niger State.
The destruction exercise, according to the acting Director General of NAFDAC, Yetunde Oni, was part of the North Central destruction exercise, which had taken place in Nassarawa and Plateau States.
The destruction took place at the Niger State permanent disposal dump site along Beji/Zungeru Road in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.
It was carried out in the presence of the State Commissioner for Health and Health Services, Dr. Mustapha Jibril, alongside a representative of the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Adamu Wakili.
According to Oni, who was represented by the Director for Special Duties, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, the destruction exercise is a preventive measure designed to ensure that all fake, counterfeit, expired drugs and other unwholesome regulated products withdrawn from circulation in Niger State do not find their way back into circulation.
Jimoh said that some of the products worth N97 million were voluntarily submitted to NAFDAC by various governmental and non governmental organizations, while others were mopped up from open market by enforcement activities and surveillance systems of NAFDAC.
He said that in total, the agency have destroyed products worth N224 million from three states in the North Central, explaining that N21 million worth of products were destroyed in Nasarawa State, N89 million in Plateau State and N144 million in Niger State.
Jimoh lamented that Nigeria has become an easy target for counterfeit drugs because of its porous borders as it has become a dumping ground for counterfeit drugs, adding that the nation currently has 1,400 illegal routes
According to him: “In the diversification of the economy, NAFDAC has a role to play.
“We are the key driver in the development of the economy.
“We are working to domesticate change in NAFDAC to ensure the right quality food and safe medicines are produced.”
Jimoh further disclosed that the rate of counterfeit drugs has reduced from 40 per cent in 2001 to 6.4 per cent in a survey carried out recently.
Earlier in her address, the Zonal Coordinator of North Central Zone, Josephine Dayilim, said the same exercise had been carried out in other states in the North Central zone in order to ensure that only good, efficacious, safe and good quality drugs and other wholesome regulated products will always be made available to the Nigerian populace.
Dayilim appealed to the populace to desist from patronizing drug hawkers, urging them to report to NAFDAC all suspicious activities and factories where fake and counterfeit drugs and other unwholesome food and other substandard regulated products are manufactured or stored.
The Niger State NAFDAC Coordinator, Ibrahim Isah, called for synergy with other sister agencies at the state, national and international levels, sating that the destruction is necessary for the safeguarding the health of the nation.
In his closing remarks, Jibril while commending those who submitted their products for destruction, warned that those involved in fake and expired products to desist from it.
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