Category: Features

The Management of The National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to use this medium to
ALERT the general public on the unscrupulous activities of some
business men and traders who revalidate expired rice and also
repackage local rice as foreign rice.

The Ogun State office of NAFDAC received a report from the
Department of State Services (DSS) in the state, of ongoing food
fraud at Oke-Aje market in Ijebu Ode.
On the 14 th of November 2019, Officers of the State office in
company of men of the Nigeria Police Force proceeded to the scene
of the illegal activity. On arrival the suspected perpetrators of the
food fraud instigated unnamed persons to unleash mayhem on the
team of Investigators.

However, Enforcement Officers of the Agency and its Federal Task
Force team stormed the market in company of Department of State
Services officials. They sighted miscreants at the market who took to
their heels. Bags of expired rice, caked rice, bags of local rice, bags of
popular foreign rice and sealing machines were found in the shops
the NAFDAC Enforcement team finally gained access into. Three
shops were sealed during the operation.

It is instructive to note that expired and caked rice are
unwholesome as they contain moulds and microorganism that cause
diseases which are of immense Public Health concern.

The general public is hereby advised to be vigilant and exercise
discretion when purchasing rice and other food items. NAFDAC is
fully alive to her responsibilities of assuring the safety,
wholesomeness and quality of foods and other Regulated Products
offered for sale to the public.

Members of the public are hereby advised to report cases of re-
bagging and sale of caked and expired rice or other food items to the
nearest NAFDAC office across the Federation.

The challenges of drug abuse have continued to have alarming and
damaging consequences on the general health and social life of the
individual, family and indeed the society at large. The multifaceted scourge
and danger of drug abuse cannot be quantified, and therefore quite
worrisome to all, hence requires taclking both proactively and reactively to
eradicate.
Confronting and fighting the danger of drug abuse and illicit drug addiction
certainly needs an all-round concerted effort and approach. Sensitization
and enlightenment are strategically critical in addressing this ‘monster’
called drug abuse.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) has always played a frontline role in confronting the menace and
numerous health challenges of drug abuse. In carrying out this all-
important task, NAFDAC-NYSC/ CDS group recently rolled out a door-to-
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL
(NAFDAC)

door sensitization campaign visit to Shettima Ali Monguno IDPs camp
(which hosts displaced persons from Baga, Kukawa, Abadam & Marte) in
Maiduguri, the Borno State capital with a view to creating the desired
mindset towards a more positive attitudinal change and departure from
drug abuse and drug addiction.
According to the State Coordinator, NAFDAC (Borno State), Mr. Nasiru
Mato, the effect of drug abuse depends largely on the substance of abuse;
but in general it could bring about brain and mental issues, weak immune
system, lung, liver, kidney diseases, high body pressure, heart disease,drug
resistance among others.
Mr. Mato, cautioned on self-prescription because of its consequences,
while urging all to ensure purchase of drugs from registered authorized
dealers always.
He further challenged parents to continually monitor their children and provide
them with all the necessary parental care that will take them away from antisocial
activities and move them towards good health habits for National development.
Both camp residents and officials in turn applauded the effort of NAFDAC in
getting them informed.

Abuja, Dec. 11, 2019(FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Federal Executive Council(FEC) has approved N307.6 million for the purchase of operational vehicles for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC).

Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Mamora, briefed State House correspondents after FEC meeting, presided by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said that the vehicles were needed for effective execution of the agency’s mandate.

“These 15 vehicles  are meant to improve mobility.

“You recall that NAFDAC is a regulatory agency and has a lot to do in terms of field work.

“ In order to improve mobility and enhance operational efficiency; regulation—checking so many things; claims in terms of products, drugs, food items, water production; they need to move around and confirm claims and certify.

“So, that is the need for these operational vehicles and these are Hilux vehicles, 15 in number,’’ he said.

Mamora said that the 15 Hilux vehicles would cost  N307.562 million.

He said that Hilux vehicles had stood the test of time in terms of durability and ability to perform on Nigerian roads.(NAN)

The CDS group in company of NAFDAC officers visited Mile 1 Rail line market and Slaughter
market Rumuokoro, where they enlightened market women and traders against the use of
potassium carbide in ripening fruits, drug abuse, use of hard drugs, adding of azo dye in palm oil

etc.
The NYSC CDS Group and NAFDAC staff told the market women and traders the dangers
inherent in ripening fruits with potassium carbide and colouring palm oil with azo dye which
can led to renal diseases and cancer.
They were also told to only buy and sell vitamin A fortified vegetable oil, flour and sugar which
can be identified by the eye logo and iodized salt also identified by Nigerian map. “Stop drug
abuse by only taking drugs as prescribed by your doctor, say no to hard drugs and buy only
NAFDAC registered products,” they sang as they moved round the market.
The CDS Group carried posters with the inscriptions: “Say No to Drug Abuse,” “Drug Ruin Life,”
“Tramadol, Purple, Codeine, Cocaine, Opium…are not your friends” etc.
The NAFDAC-NYSC CDS Group was formed in 2012 as part of NAFDAC’s efforts to enlighten the
public on her activities and spread its campaign against fake and counterfeit/falsified regulated
products down to the grass root and also meaningfully engage the corps members during their
service year.

Abuja, Jan. 7, 2020 (Flowerbudnews.ng) The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it is committed to safeguarding the health of Nigerians through proper monitoring of sales of drugs in the markets.
Its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Adeyeye said: “NAFDAC will ensure it safeguard the health of the nation by ensuring that whatever product bought from any of its regulated products is of high quality.
“There was an instance of an elderly person that used anti-malaria tablet and the person could not walk.
“Then, I asked if the person had stroke, but they said No; very likely, it is linked to a falsify medicine.”
Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s job was to ensure consumers have confidence when they go out to buy medicine, adding that it was 24/7 activities revolving around ensuring consumers’ confidence.
According to her, a lot of our products here in Nigeria comes from China and India and we have agent, we call it “Clean Report Inspection Analyst Agent (CRIA)’’.
She said that CRIA was saddled with the responsibility of testing drugs coming into Nigeria before they left the shores of those countries.
“What we did in September 2019 was to go to India and China, and the plan was to meet with the CRIA, but we change our modules-operandi, because their CRIA have some plans they used under them.
“We conclude that we were going to be dealing with personality, meet persons to persons and laboratories.
“There are some laboratories in India and China which may not have the capacity to test one product or the other or to perform a test.
“We usually do series of test, and they will claim they have done it.
“I read a riot act to them that you cannot be shipping drugs to our country to kill our people.
“`We have an agreement with CRIA, and we will break up the agreement, if they cannot perform,’’ Adeyeye said.
The NAFDAC chief said not all the manufacturers were compromising standard, pointing out that only one or two agents were compromising standard. (NAN)
AG/OYE/GOK
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole
Posted in Health |

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has called on herbal medicine dealers in Yobe, to obtain product registration with the agency to safeguard public health.

The State Controller of the agency, Mr Lawan Dadingelma, made the call in an interview, on Friday in Damaturu.

Dadingelma disclosed that registration of herbal products would facilitate comprehensive laboratory analysis to certify that herbs and other products were good for consumption.

He said that the registration was imperative, as the process enable the agency to examine and assess the level of toxicity of the herbal medicine.

Dadingelema said that: “We strongly call on all traditional medicine sellers to come forward and update registration of their products and businesses to safeguard of public health in the state.

“If such herbal medicine did not undergo laboratory test and analysis, which is an integral part of the registration, the toxicity level cannot be ascertained and it could pose serious health hazard.

“The high toxic content of herbs are some of the causes of damages to vital human organs such as kidney and liver”.

Dadingelma added that to avoid health related risks associated with herbal medicine, the agency requested producers to ensure proper label on their products which must be designed with addresses, manufacturing and expiring date, NAFDAC’s registration number and prescribed dosage to be administered.

The coordinator further warned that defaulters would be sanction in accordance with laws governing its operations.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has been informed by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a recall of 25 drugs by basic reset and biogenyx of Hendersonville, Tennessee due to consent decree for federal violations and unlawfully distribution of dietary supplements that are adulterated and misbranded.

Basic Reset and Biogenyx have not received the FDA’s approval for the sale of their drugs and one device, despite the companies’ claims that these products can be used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent conditions such as inflammation, chronic diarrhea, bacterial infections, head lice, allergies and pain. Consumer use of an unapproved product that claims to treat diseases may cause them to delay seeking appropriate medical care. Additionally, unapproved products have not been reviewed by the FDA for quality, safety or effectiveness.

The list of basic reset and biogenyx products recalled includes:

Healthcare providers and patients in possession of the affected products should immediately stop the administration and use of the products.

Healthcare providers and patients are encouraged to report adverse events associated with the use of these medical devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, NAFDAC PRASCOR (20543 TOLL FREE from all networks) or via pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng

Abuja, Feb. 27, 2020 (flowerbudnews) The Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Mr Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, has urged delegates to the African Medicine Quality Forum (AMQF) to come up with regulations that would tackle the menace of substandard medicines in African continent.

Abdul-Kadir, who made the remarks on the third day of the AMQF conference held in Abuja, stressed the need for delegates to focus on their activities.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AMQF conference began on Feb. 24 and expected to end on Feb. 28 in Abuja.

The Chairman said that the menace of illicit drugs was becoming a big threat to the internal security of the African continent, adding that there was need for the delegates to rise up to tackle the challenge.

“Your particular effort in quality control of medicines, in collaboration with enforcement agencies and key stakeholders, who are saddled with the responsibility of regulating dispensing of medicines, will provide a lot of respite in that regard.

“The task of ensuring quality control of medicines is by no means herculean in Africa and this has to do with so many factors but most militating is the purchasing power of vast majority of our populace.

“The vast majority of these populace are vulnerable to medicines that appear to them as cheaper but in reality are substandard and falsified,” he stressed.

According to him, Nigeria is making all necessary efforts to enhance all NAFDAC drug labouratories and facilities, and will continue with the training of personnel in order to ensure they are current in quality control of medicines (NAN)