The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed counterfeit and unwholesome products valued at over N2.5 billion.
The products, seized across the five South East States, included rice and assorted drinks.
During the destruction exercise on Thursday, at the Enugu State Waste Management Authority Dump Site, NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, urged dealers to cease from selling counterfeit products.
She lamented that the resources spent on producing and procuring these fake products could have been utilised in legitimate businesses.
“The destroyed products had a street value of N2,664,548,683.33 and could have compromised the health of over three million people, increased health burdens, and poverty rates,” Mr. Iluyomade Martins, the South East Zonal Director, who represented the DG revealed.
Adeyeye emphasised that NAFDAC is committed to ensuring that every household can purchase regulated products without fear of substandard, adulterated, or fake products, and vowed to prevent further harm from these products.
Adeyeye said, “These products would have compromised the health of over three million people. They would have increased the health burden on our already overstretched health institutions. They would have also increased the poverty rate by making people spend money they should use to improve their livelihoods on medical trips.”
She reminded that several people had lost their lives and met their untimely death as a result the consumption of “these poisons”.
The DG vowed that NAFDAC would not rest untill every household could buy any regulated product without fear of substandard and adulteration or fake.
“This event today is to signal to the people of the south east that it is no longer business as usual to merchants of death who are hell bent on destroying other people for their own selfish economic gain.”
She, however, commended other sister agencies for their synergy and inter agency cooperation, which she described that without they would not have succeeded in this endeavour.
“NAFDAC will not rest on its oars until every household in Nigeria can buy any regulated product without fear of substandard and adulteration or fake,” she added.
“We enjoin the public to join us in this fight by reporting unscrupulous manufacturers and business men who engage in illicit practises to report to the nearest NAFDAC office for prompt investigation.
“The visions of the agency is to be a World Class Regulator that ensures availability of quality and safe Food, Drugs, and other Regulated Products. The mission of the agency is to protect and promote the public health by instituting an effective and efficient regulatory system that ensures only the right quality food, drugs and other regulated products are manufactured, exported, Imported, advertised, distributed, sold, and used.
“The current administration is fully committed to the fulfilment of the vision and mission of the agency in other to safeguard the health of all Nigerians. This is being achieved through Implementation of various policies and strategies to make the impact of NAFDAC felt in every family in Nigeria and diaspora where NAFDAC regulated products are consumed.
“The south east directorate of NAFDAC comprises Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Abla states. These states are very strategic to achieving the mandate of NAFDAC.
“Several raids and routine activity has led to the confiscation of several fake, substandard, falsified, adulterated and spurious foods, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals and other regulated consignments that are very injurious to the health of Nigerians and especially.”
