NAFDAC destroys fake drugs, drinks, food products in fresh crackdown

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its campaign against fake, substandard and unwholesome regulated products, warning manufacturers, importers and distributors involved in the illegal trade that enforcement operations will remain a regular exercise.

The agency also said it would continue to publicise the destruction of seized products to protect Nigerians from dangerous medicines, drinks, food items and other regulated products capable of endangering public health.

Speaking on the agency’s enforcement activities, recently, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, director of Investigation and Enforcement, NAFDAC, said the destruction of confiscated products was not a special or occasional exercise, but part of the agency’s routine responsibilities.

He said it regularly invites relevant government agencies and stakeholders to witness destruction exercises, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the disposal of products considered unsafe for public consumption.

The official said the agency had received comments from some quarters that excessive publicity of destruction exercises could negatively affect the marketability of legitimate products. He, however, stressed that such concerns could not override the need to expose and destroy fake or dangerous products.

“We do this destruction and it has become part and parcel of the regular activities that we do now,” the official stated.

He added that the agency’s enforcement efforts covered different categories of products, including fake drugs, adulterated drinks and unwholesome food products.

He further stated the importance of synergy among government agencies in combating the circulation of harmful products, noting that collaborative enforcement and public awareness remained critical to protecting consumers.