NAFDAC Destroys ₦10.9bn Expired and Fake Drugs in Oyo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired, counterfeit, unregistered, and smuggled products worth ₦10,991,458,374.60 in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.
The items, which were confiscated from five South-West states (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State in the North-Central zone, included various substandard and illegal products.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by Mrs. Roseline Ajayi, the South-West Zonal Director, explained that the exercise was intended to reassure the public that the confiscated products would not be diverted but were properly destroyed under strict supervision.
Adeyeye further emphasized that the disposal was conducted at an Oyo State Government-approved dumpsite to minimize environmental pollution.
The destruction process was overseen by several key stakeholders, including Dr. Akin Fagbemi, Chairman of the Oyo State Hospital Management Board, and officials from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and other agencies.
“The effort to rid the system of unwholesome and substandard regulated products is supported by sister agencies represented here, including the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Police (NP), Department of State Services (DSS), and NSCDC,” Adeyeye said.
She explained that the products for destruction had been collected from the five South-West states (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State due to proximity. These items included expired products that were voluntarily surrendered by distributors, unregistered and unwholesome products seized from warehouses and outlets, as well as fake and smuggled goods.
The total value of the destroyed products was estimated at ₦10,991,458,374.60.
The Director-General urged Nigerians to join NAFDAC in the fight against fake, substandard, and counterfeit products. She called on every Nigerian to become an ambassador for NAFDAC, contributing to the agency’s efforts to clean up the food and drug sector in the country.
