The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired donated medicines valued at N59 million.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency said the medicines were shipped from the United States and brought into the country through the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Area 1 Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a post on X on Thursday, NAFDAC said the destroyed products included antidepressants, anti-ulcer medicines, analgesics and drugs used in the management of hypertension.
The agency explained that while donated medicines play an important role in supporting healthcare delivery for vulnerable and underserved populations, expired or unsuitable products must be removed from circulation.
According to NAFDAC, the destruction was necessary to prevent the medicines from being misused, diverted or distributed without authorisation.
“Conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other sister agencies, the exercise highlights the importance of inter-agency cooperation in safeguarding the pharmaceutical supply chain,” the agency said.
NAFDAC said the exercise formed part of its efforts to ensure that medicines and other regulated products entering the country meet safety and quality standards.
The agency had in March destroyed truckloads of expired, falsified, unregistered and banned medicines seized from the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos.
NAFDAC said the medicines destroyed in that operation were estimated at N100 billion and had been seized during a three-week enforcement exercise at the market.
