NAFDAC denies report of 70 per cent fake medicines in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denounced a newspaper report that 70 per cent of medicines in Nigeria were fake.A press statement by Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director General of the agency on Friday, said that the false report was published by Vanguard Newspaper.

Adeyeye said that a study jointly carried out by NAFDAC, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) in 2005 revealed that fake medicines stood at 16 per cent.

She added that a survey conducted by NAFDAC in 2017 and 2018 on some widely used drugs showed that Nigerian medicines were 98 per cent wholesome. She described the report as “categorically untrue and grossly inaccurate.’’ She urged Nigerians to disregard it. 

“The report of series of studies conducted by NAFDAC with relevant stakeholders established that the online publication in Vanguard has no scientific basis, is untrue and grossly misleading and as such it should be disregarded.

“One of the focus and priority areas of my administration is reducing substandard and falsified drugs through emphasis on local manufacturing. Promotion of local manufacturing has been on my priority list.

“This is to reverse the trend of 30 per cent locally manufactured drug products toward 70 per cent.“Local manufacturing ensures drug security, reduces unemployment and increases contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the nation’s GDP,” she said

“The agency hereby wishes to inform the general public that the fight against fake drugs and other unwholesome NAFDAC regulated products is something that the Agency considers as a daily routine activity,’’ she assured.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Vanguard Newspaper, on 19th April, published the contentious report online, under the headline, “70% of drugs in Nigerian markets fake — NAFDAC, NDLEA, NOA.’’