The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday destroyed counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard products valued at ₦20 billion during its South-West Zonal Destruction Flag-off Ceremony held at the Moniya Dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking at the event, the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the destruction was part of NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to protect the health of Nigerians and prevent the re-entry of unsafe and falsified products into circulation.
Adeyeye, represented by Pharmacist Uba Florence N., Deputy Director of Pharmaceuticals Investigation and Enforcement, Apapa, Lagos, described the exercise as a routine regulatory action aligned with NAFDAC’s mandate to eliminate substandard medicines, illicit drugs, unsafe foods, and counterfeit cosmetics from the Nigerian market.
“This exercise is aimed at ensuring that expired, falsified, and unwholesome NAFDAC-regulated products never find their way back into our markets or homes,” Adeyeye said.
She explained that the destroyed items included falsified and substandard medicines, unsafe processed foods and additives, counterfeit cosmetics, and other expired products seized from manufacturers, importers, and distributors across the South-West.
Adeyeye also noted that some of the destroyed goods were voluntarily submitted by compliant companies, NGOs, and trade unions, which she described as a positive sign of increased corporate responsibility within the industry.
The NAFDAC chief commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its collaboration, revealing that the agency had recently received 25 containers of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals, including a refrigerated container, for destruction.
She further praised the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for their continued support in combating counterfeit products nationwide.
Reiterating NAFDAC’s zero-tolerance policy toward fake and unwholesome products, Adeyeye urged Nigerians to avoid patronising unlicensed medicine vendors and quacks.
“We call on community leaders, health practitioners, religious figures, and the media to help educate the public about the dangers of fake and substandard drugs. This fight is a collective responsibility,” she said.
The destruction exercise was witnessed by representatives of security agencies, health institutions, and civil society organisations, underscoring NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring Nigerians consume only safe and high-quality regulated products.
In a related development, the agency unveiled a revised National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified (SF) Medical Products, designed to strengthen Nigeria’s medical supply chain and enhance public health protection.
The new framework focuses on early detection systems, quality assurance, public awareness, and stronger inter-agency collaboration to curb the circulation of fake and substandard medicines.
