By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
THE NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized 16 containers of substandard and falsified products valued at N20.5 billion, imported through Onne Port, Port Harcourt.
The consignment, delivered to the agency on Saturday by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as part of institutional collaborative efforts, comprised 11 containers of unregistered or banned pharmaceutical products and four containers of unwholesome tomato paste.
According to NAFDAC, the confiscated drugs included 1.3 million bottles of codeine syrup, a controlled prescription medicine; 12.6 million tablets of tramadol, a prescription-only drug for managing post-operative pain; and 9.3 million tablets of falsified diclofenac, used for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Also seized were 280 packages of falsified Hyergra tablets, an unregistered sildenafil citrate product for erectile dysfunction, alongside the unwholesome tomato paste.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and his team for supporting the fight against illicit and unsafe products.
She warned importers and collaborators in the trade that “under our watch, substandard and fake food and drug products will not be allowed access to our people,” adding that recent threats to agency staff, including death and kidnapping attempts, would not deter enforcement.
Prof Adeyeye urged Nigerians to report suspected cases of fake or substandard products to NAFDAC offices or via its social media channels.
She listed the health risks of consuming unwholesome products, including acute food poisoning, nutritional deficiencies, chronic organ damage, increased cancer risk, allergic reactions, and cognitive disruption from highly processed expired foods.
Emphasising the need for strong institutional cooperation, she pledged to continue working with stakeholders to protect public health.
“Safeguarding the health of the nation is a collective responsibility which NAFDAC cannot possibly do alone,” she stated.
