File Photo: NAFDAC officials examine fake products

Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has  destroyed fake and unwholesome products worth more than N1 billion in Ogun state, west of the country.

The products destroyed included expired products which were said to have been voluntarily handed over by compliant companies in the country.

Other products destroyed were fake and counterfeit drugs, prohibited substandard and expired food products, cosmetics and other regulated products.

These were seized by the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC in Lagos State and environs from manufacturers and importers as well as distributors.

Mr Kingsley Ejiofor, Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, who represented the Acting Director-General of the Agency, Mrs Yetunde Oni, decried the activities of drug counterfeiters.

Addressing journalists at the Sagamu local government dumpsite, Ogun state, Ejiofor said that drug counterfeiting could be regarded as an act of economic sabotage and terrorism against public health.

“The agency has continued to aggressively pursue the goals of ensuring that only genuine medicines and wholesome foods of the right quality are imported, exported, manufactured and distributed.

“We shall continue to enforce the regulations governing regulated products in Nigeria.

“Surveillance and enforcement operations at our ports, borders and identified routes used by smugglers have been intensified and this has led to increased seizures of fake regulated products smuggled through our land borders,’’ he said.

Ejiofor reiterated that NAFDAC would continue to ensure that public health is safeguarded by ensuring that only the right quality drugs, food and other regulated products are manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, distributed, sold and used.

He urged Nigerians to be vigilant over the drugs, foods and other regulated products that they purchased.