Category: Health and Environment

By Kemi Akintokun

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has assured Nigerians that COVID-19 vaccines  produced in the country will be of international standard, with the strengthening of the agency.

Adeyeye gave the assurance during the oversight visit of the House of Representatives Committee on COVID-19 to the NAFDAC facilities and COVID-19 laboratory projects in Lagos.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by Sayo Akintola, NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Adeyeye described the Federal Government’s huge spending on the fight against COVID-19 as exemplified by the construction of the new COVID-19 laboratory, as a great achievement for the country.

She said that the laboratory with equipped modern instruments and amenities at the agency was a wake-up call for the country.

She noted with dismay that the health sector had been neglected before the present administration responded through the COVID-19 Committee of the National Assembly, ‘’particularly the members that are here today’’.

She said: “To ensure that the health sector is strengthened, NAFDAC must be strengthened, if the regulatory agency is not strengthened, the industry will not be strengthened.

“We have the African Free trade Agreement already here with us now for the nation’s pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of with quality products.

“There will be a lot of competition and if NAFDAC’s laboratory is not strengthened, we will not be able to compete.

‘’For Vaccines, we are hoping that the vaccine facilities from the public- private partnership will soon happen but if the regulatory agency is not strong, we can make vaccine that will destroy our own people.”

Adeyeye noted that with the agency now very strong with WHO Maturity Level 3 certification, “Nigeria can now make its own vaccines and we can  assure the populace that there is quality in whatever is being manufactured because of NAFDAC’s strength”.

On the impact that COVID-19 fund had made, she said, “this should resonate well with the whole country that if you put the right people in the right places, then the vision of the government can be realised.

‘’Whatever approvals that are being given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on funding our activities, you can actually touch such and this is what has happened here today.”

She commended the COVID-19 committee, and the Healthcare Services committee of the  Assembly for committing to ensuring that NAFDAC as a regulatory agency is  known internationally.

Speaking, Chairman, House Committee on COVID-19, Haruna Mshelia, commended Adeyeye and her management team for leveraging latest technology to upgrade the agency.

‘’We have seen with our eyes how they have leveraged on latest technology to upgrade the organisation to a standard that is next to none in Africa. I think they need to be commended.

“We have seen the warehouse. We have now seen the laboratory which is under construction. They have gone very far, and the standard of the construction is good.

‘’We have also seen the equipment awaiting to be installed in the laboratories. I have to say kudos to the DG and her team for getting good value for money as far as COVID-19 funds for NAFDAC is concerned.

“Other agencies should come to NAFDAC and learn how they have leveraged ICT to move their organisation forward so that everywhere our standard can be uplifted with everyone seeing it,” Mshelia said.

NAN

By Victor Adeoti

Osogbo:  The National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has warned that it is illegal to advertise any regulated product by manufacturers without the prior approval of the agency.

The Southwest Zonal Director of the agency, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Osogbo.

Ajayi, who noted that product registration with the agency was not the same with advertisement approval, said any manufacturer caught in any advertisement, contrary to approval would be severely sanctioned.

She said that the time had come to address illegal advertisements which had given unethical practices and exploitation of unsuspecting Nigerians.

Ajayi also warned manufacturers against sale of products laced with psychoactive substances, which had the capacity to destroy vital organs of the body.

She said that any manufacturer caught with unregistered and deadly products would be dealt with in line with the law.

Ajayi said that NAFDAC would continue to work towards its mission in safeguarding public health.

He said this would be done by ensuring that only the right quality drugs, food and other regulated products were manufactured, imported, distributed, advertised, sold and used in Nigeria.

Ajayi said that the stakeholders meeting was organised with a view to sensitising different sectors to the need for collaboration in the advancement of the regulatory environment.

According to her, the regulatory space is not only becoming more dynamic but also more challenging.

This he said, was due to advancement in technology, inventions, innovations, diversification in economy, hostile economic environment, inflation and other threatening global village impacts.

” The impact of the aforementioned factor may have consequences on the quality and wholesomeness of regulatory products.

” Hence, the agency is also evolving strategies and operational guidelines to drive continuous improvements, to match with the regulatory environment and changing demands of the new world order.

“NAFDAC under the leadership of Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has recognised the important role played by stakeholders in fulfilling its mandate, which is the motivation for special interest on stakeholders engagement,” she said.

Besides, Ajayi said that during her working visit to the state, she visited factories to check levels of their compliance to regulatory procedures.

He also said they trained members of staff of the agency on the need to be more active in the pursuit of the agency’s mandate and mission.

Earlier, the NAFDAC State Coordinator, Mr Anikoh Ibrahim, said the meeting was to intimate stakeholders on what NAFDAC was doing and the challenges they were facing.

Ibrahim said the meeting was also to intimate stakeholders with recent happenings in NAFDAC, the agency’s concerns, as well as the stakeholders agitations and the way forward.

Stakeholders at the meeting, in their various contributions, commended NAFDAC for the meeting and promised to work within the agency’s regulatory frame work.(NAN)www.nannews.ng (Flowerbudnews)

By Stella Kabruk

Kaduna: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it will embark on surveillance visits to restaurants and fast food outlets in Kaduna State.

The State Coordinator, NAFDAC, Nasiru Mato who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna, said the purpose was to ensure the operators’ adherence to good hygiene practice.

Mato said the agency had observed that some of the quick service restaurants and fast food outlets did not adhere to its guidelines on good hygiene and needed to be checked.

“We want to begin a massive surveillance visit to quick service restaurants and fast food outlets in the state with a view of ensuring adherence by the operators to NAFDAC guidelines on good hygiene practice,” he said.

He said the visit was also to familiarise the agency with some restaurants and fast food outlets to ascertain their compliance to laid down guidelines, standards and operating procedures.

The state coordinator noted that the visit was intended to be a continuous exercise so as to cover every nook and cranny of the state.

Mayo said NAFDAC would check for the use of food grade utensils, personal hygiene and environmental hygiene as some of the critical components of good hygiene practice.

He said the agency would also check for provision of insect proof nettings to prevent cross contamination.

“We shall also be looking at recommended storage conditions for all raw materials, use of appropriate apparel and general sanitary condition, including provision of adequate water system convenience,” he said.

He added that water used in food preparation must be from an established source and should be well-treated before use.

“Essentially, a dedicated washing area with appropriate channel for waste water must be provided,” the state coordinator added.

According to him, the surveillance visits are intended to re-awaken operators in food business to all aspects of NAFDAC regulations that affect their operations and ensure compliance.

He also urged operators of restaurants and other food outlets to come forth for Good Hygiene Practice Certification.

He said: “If you have yet to register, I urge you to do so to avoid sanctions.

“The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeyeis is committed to ensuring that all regulated products meet the necessary quality and safety requirements.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews

By Aderogba George

Abuja:   The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has denied recruitment advert circulating in her name by some impostors on social media.

Adeyeye, at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja stated that her attention had been drawn to the activities of some impostors and fraudulent individuals impersonating her via her social media accounts, Facebook and Linkedln.

She said that the impostors, who were promising their victims employment in her name, were asking for money in exchange for the employment and other favours.

“This is a security breach. NAFDAC and the Director-General will never request for gratification to carry out its mandate.

“As a result of this, the social media account of the Director-General will no longer be in use until further notice. Members of the public are hereby advised to exercise due caution.

“The public should report any such activity to EFCC on +2348093322644, DSS on +2349153391309 for Nigeria.

“For international, you can call UK Interpol on +447971153192 or US Federal Bureau of Investigation on +1-800-225-5324,’’ Adeyeye said.

The NAFDAC boss also said that the agency had not approved any medicine that could cure diabetes as against the circulating information that government had approved some.

According to her, if there is anyone that has been approved, the agency will let Nigerians know about it, so long such medicine is backed by science.

She added that if it is a natural product, NAFDAC has a regulating system that gives listing approval for such product.

Adeyeye said that such product would have to pass through clinical trials before approval could be given.

The D-G also said that the agency had gone a step further by doing internet vigilance, especially on monitoring bleaching creams which she said some were advertised on the internet.

She said that some of the bleaching creams were substandard and could cause damage to the body organs.

She called on Nigerians to be aware and desist from such.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews

By Aderogba George

Abuja:  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that measures have been put at various ports of entry into the country to prevent contaminated cough syrups.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agency had on Sunday, issued an alert with No. 040/2022 about some contaminated cough syrups circulating in the Gambia.

NAN also reports that the syrups were identified as Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.

The syrups were said to have been manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, and had failed to provide guarantees about the safety of the cough syrups.

Meanwhile, the NAFDAC boss said that the agency had put appropriate measures at the various ports of entry to curtail the entry of these syrups into Nigeria.

She said that NAFDAC had activated its internal surveillance mechanisms to mop up these products from the supply chain pipeline if they were ever found.

Adeyeye said that as a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) programme on International drug monitoring, NAFDAC would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that these products did not cause harm to Nigerians.

She said that the cough syrups had killed 66 children in Gambia, and that interviews conducted on the bereaved parents in the Gambia by health authorities and law enforcement agencies revealed how their children were not able to pass urine after taking the syrups.

“Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are restricted chemicals which are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.

“These chemicals are closely related in chemical structure to propylene glycol which is the right vehicle for use in the manufacture of paediatric syrups.

“Poor quality control might have led to non- detection of these dangerous products and hence the fatality we have on our hands in Gambia,” she dressed.

The NAFDAC boss however said that the four cough syrups in questions were not registered by the agency and called on Nigerians to be cautious.

She also implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise vigilance within the supply chain to avoid importation, distribution, sales and use of the substandard cough syrups.

According to her, all medical products must be obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, adding that the product authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews

By Stella Kabruk

Kaduna:  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has seized drugs worth a million naira in Kaduna.

The State Coordinator of the agency, Nasiru Mato, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna.

He said the products were seized in Jaji, Kagoro, Kafanchan, Mararaba Jos and within the township.

Mato said during the activities, several brands of unregistered aphrodisiacs, analgesics and cosmetics were seized and would be subjected to laboratory investigation for further necessary regulatory actions within the ambit of the law.

“It is against this backdrop that NAFDAC recently goes on broad spectrum routine and surveillance visits to establishments in several parts of the state for strict compliance.”

He said the visits were also to ensure that regulated products available to the consumer exhibited the desired quality, safety, and efficacy.

He said the decision was to ensure the agency rid the state from circulation of substandard regulated products.

“NAFDAC has deployed real – time digital cutting edge technology for use by consumers called Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) to establish on the spot whether drugs are genuine or fake, to ensure the safety of the consumer always.

The Coordinator cautioned against illegal advertisements of regulated products in any form.

He urged consumers to always check product labelling for product name, NAFDAC Registration Number, Production Date, Expiry Date, Batch Number, storage condition, direction for use, name and location address of the manufacturer.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/Flowerbudnews