- The agency warned counterfeiters that it has devised strategies to protect Nigerians from substandard pharmaceutical products.
Nigeria will no longer tolerate the influx of counterfeit drugs, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned.
The agency has strengthened its partnerships with countries like China and India to ensure rigorous testing of products before shipment to Nigeria.
This warning was issued at the 8th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists in Abuja.
According to NAFDAC’s Director of Marketing Surveillance, unsafe products harm both consumers and legitimate businesses, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to stop substandard goods.
“Pre-shipment testing guarantees quality products are sent to Nigeria,” the agency stated.
“Independent analysts verify product safety before shipment, reducing waste and counterfeit items entering our markets.
NAFDAC has adopted innovative tools with the USP and WHO to identify high-risk areas for product sampling, affirming, “We are not a dumping ground for substandard products.”
The agency stressed the importance of aggressive post-marketing inspections, as counterfeiters often resist regulatory oversight.
Recently, 144 batches of substandard pharmaceutical products were intercepted and stopped from entering Nigeria.
These efforts, combined with routine inspections and consumer complaints, have reduced the prevalence of harmful products in circulation.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeit products and encourages local pharmaceutical manufacturing to reduce dependence on imports.
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