The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has destroyed counterfeit, substandard, and illicit pharmaceutical products valued at over N1 trillion.
The destruction exercise took place at the Anambra State Waste Management Authority Dump Site in Agu Awka, Anambra State, on Friday.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s South-East Zonal Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, supervised the disposal of the confiscated products.
She disclosed that the destroyed items included banned substances such as Analgin and high-dose Tramadol 225mg, which were seized from major drug markets, including Onitsha’s Bridge Head Drug Market (Ogbu-Ogu) and Aba’s Ekumi/Tenant Road Drug Market, during a one-month enforcement operation.
Addressing journalists, Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of medicines, food, medical devices, cosmetics, packaged water, and beverages in Nigeria.
“Today, we are destroying fake, counterfeit, and illicit drugs that were seized during our one-month enforcement exercise,” she said. “The discoveries of unregistered and banned products, such as Analgin and Tramadol 225mg, in major drug markets are alarming. These substances contribute to security challenges in the country.”
She emphasized the agency’s resolve to eliminate substandard medicines from circulation.
“The time has come to put an end to the distribution of fake drugs in Nigeria,” she said. “We assure Nigerians that the medicines now available in the market are safe and fit for consumption.”
Adeyeye explained that the enforcement exercise, which ran from February 10 to March 5, would continue as part of NAFDAC’s efforts to combat counterfeit drugs.
“The volume of confiscated narcotics and other unapproved medicines found during this operation is massive,” she noted. “From Onitsha and Aba alone, over 100 containers of fake drugs were removed from the markets, valued at over ₦1 trillion. The impact of this action has saved millions of lives.”
She urged Nigerians to report suspicious pharmaceutical activities, while acknowledging the media’s role in amplifying the fight against counterfeit drugs.
Representing Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the Managing Director of Anambra State Waste Management Authority, Mike Ozoemanam, commended NAFDAC for its efforts in ridding the market of harmful and illegal drugs.
“The governor visited the market during the enforcement exercise, not for politics, but to support this crucial fight,” Ozoemanam said. “Anambra people want only safe and approved medicines in the state.”
The large-scale destruction of counterfeit drugs highlights NAFDAC’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the integrity of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
