The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard products valued at ₦20 billion during a major enforcement operation in Ibadan, Oyo State. The destruction exercise took place on Thursday at the South-West Zonal Destruction Flag-Off Ceremony held at the Moniya Dumpsite.
Representing the Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Deputy Director of Pharmaceuticals Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC Apapa, Pharmacist Uba Florence N., stated that the exercise reinforces the agency’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of Nigerians. She noted that the destruction is part of NAFDAC’s continuous efforts to prevent the circulation and reintroduction of unsafe and falsified products into the market.
According to Adeyeye, the event is a routine regulatory activity aligned with NAFDAC’s mandate to eliminate:
- Substandard and falsified medicines
- Unwholesome processed foods
- Illicit and fake drugs
- Counterfeit cosmetics
- Expired and banned items
- Other violative products
“These efforts ensure that expired, falsified, and unwholesome NAFDAC-regulated products never make their way back into Nigerian markets or households,” she emphasized.
The destroyed items included a wide range of confiscated products collected from manufacturers, importers, and distributors across the South-West region. They also contained expired and damaged goods voluntarily surrendered by responsible companies, NGOs, and trade associations—a gesture Adeyeye described as encouraging and reflective of increasing industry compliance.
Adeyeye also acknowledged the strong collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), revealing that the agency recently received 25 containers of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals for destruction, including a refrigerated container.
She further appreciated the support of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, DSS, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), NDLEA, and the NSCDC for their consistent role in combating counterfeiters nationwide.
Reiterating NAFDAC’s zero-tolerance policy on fake and unsafe products, Adeyeye urged Nigerians to stop patronising unauthorized medicine dealers, warning that such actions put lives at serious risk.
She called on traditional leaders, healthcare professionals, religious bodies, and the media to intensify awareness campaigns on the dangers of fake and substandard drugs, stressing that safeguarding public health is a collective duty.
The destruction event, attended by security agencies, health institutions, and civil society groups, reinforced NAFDAC’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that Nigerians have access only to safe, high-quality, and properly regulated products.
In a related development, NAFDAC has introduced a revised National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified (SF) Medical Products, designed to strengthen Nigeria’s supply chain integrity. The updated plan focuses on public awareness, enhanced regulatory systems, inter-agency cooperation, and early-warning mechanisms to quickly detect and track falsified medicines.
