The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its war against substandard and counterfeit medicines with the destruction of fake, expired, and banned pharmaceutical products worth over ₦15 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The large-scale destruction, which took place at the Moniya dumpsite, underscores the agency’s determination to safeguard public health from the dangers posed by falsified and unwholesome products.
Representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Association of Community Pharmacists joined NAFDAC officials at the exercise.
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Speaking at the event, NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye—represented by Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Martins Iluyomade—said the destruction was part of ongoing efforts to rid the country of harmful products that threaten lives and undermine the health sector.
Among the destroyed items were analgin, cocodamol, tramadol, codeine-based cough syrups, oxytocin, falsified vaccines, and unregistered medicines. Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC recently intercepted a consignment disguised as diclofenac, which was later discovered to contain anti-malarial drugs worth millions of naira.
She further disclosed that the agency had shut down illegal cosmetic factories discovered inside a military barracks in Lagos and destroyed several seizures made in joint operations nationwide.
Adeyeye commended the Nigeria Customs Service for handing over 25 containers of prohibited pharmaceutical products, including tramadol, artesunate injections, codeine syrups, and even banned frozen poultry—all of which were destroyed during the exercise.
“We are resolutely committed to ensuring that the foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and beverages consumed in Nigeria are safe, wholesome, and effective,” Adeyeye affirmed. “The destruction of these fake products is to prevent them from re-entering circulation and endangering lives.”
Oyo State NAFDAC Director, Mr. Samuel Adeyemi, urged Nigerians to support the fight against counterfeit products by reporting suspicious medicines or illegal vendors. “If you see something, say something,” he said, stressing the importance of community vigilance.
NAFDAC has also called on health professionals, community leaders, religious organisations, and the media to help raise awareness about the dangers of patronising unlicensed medicine dealers and quacks.
The Ibadan destruction exercise, officials noted, is one of several nationwide crackdowns as NAFDAC doubles down on its commitment to protect Nigerians from dangerous and substandard products.
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