By Ekpenyong Emmanuel
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired, fake, and unregistered drugs and other products valued at ₦10,991,458,374.60. The exercise, carried out at the Akinyele Dump Site in Ibadan, was aimed at safeguarding public health by removing unwholesome products from circulation.
Key stakeholders, including Dr. Akin Fagbemi, Chairman of the Oyo State Hospital Management Board; officials from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, were present to witness the event.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s South-West Zonal Director, Mrs. Roseline Ajayi, highlighted the significance of the destruction. She explained that the items destroyed were collected from five states in the Southwest Zone (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State, which was included due to proximity.
“These items include expired products that were voluntarily forfeited by those in the drug distribution channel, unregistered and unwholesome products raided from different outlets and warehouses, fake and counterfeit, as well as unregistered imported products smuggled into the country. The worth of what is being destroyed today is estimated to be ₦10,991,458,374.60,” she said.
She added, “The purpose of this public destruction is to convey a strong signal that all items being confiscated by the agency are not being diverted for personal use, assure the public that unwholesome products are being removed from circulation, and prevent them from being reinjected back into circulation.”
Dr. Fagbemi commended NAFDAC for its efforts, describing the public destruction as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to protecting public health. “It will send a strong signal to people who think that they can use Oyo State as an abhorring ground for unwholesome or counterfeit drugs to operate,” he stated.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mohammed Shaba, disclosed that the agency has destroyed unwholesome products worth ₦98.6 billion in 2024 alone, reiterating its resolve to keep Nigeria safe from substandard and counterfeit products.
Professor Adeyeye called on all Nigerians to support NAFDAC’s mission, saying, “As a matter of fact, every Nigerian is expected to be an ambassador of NAFDAC, joining hands with the agency in the bid to sanitise the food and drug sector in Nigeria.”
The destruction was carried out under close monitoring by the Oyo State Government to minimize environmental impact, further underscoring the agency’s commitment to public and environmental health.
