The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has stated that its ongoing enforcement operations aim to protect Nigerians, not disrupt trade.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday in Lagos, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, cautioned against politicising the agency’s activities.
NAFDAC launched a nationwide enforcement operation on 10 February, targeting open drug markets in Lagos, Aba, and Onitsha to eliminate fake and substandard pharmaceutical products.
“What we are doing in Lagos, Aba, and Onitsha should not be politicised. We are protecting lives, not destroying trade,” Adeyeye said.
“We cannot prioritise trade over human lives. These operations will continue to ensure public safety.”
She emphasised that while NAFDAC supports trade and has a dedicated trade and international relations office, this must not come at the expense of Nigerian lives.
The agency discovered banned and unregistered drugs such as Tafrodol, Tramadol, and Anagin in sealed warehouses and shops.
Adeyeye further revealed that antiretroviral drugs donated by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, for HIV patients were found at Idumota market, alongside expired condoms.
“Vaccines were stored in unventilated buildings instead of refrigerators, and expired Amlodipine for blood pressure was being revalidated for sale.
“Vaccines not meant for storage outside refrigerators were found. Controlled substances and condoms due for destruction since 2022 were also discovered,” she added.
