Category: Health and Environment

Flowerbudnews

NAFDAC D-G, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye

By Aderogba George

Abuja: (Flowerbudnews):  Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye,  the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has warned business owners against the use of unapproved NAFDAC registration number.

She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said the attention of the agency had been drawn to shady practices where some business owners used a particular approved registration number for multiple businesses in the name of the agency.

The director-general described such unlawful sharp act as detrimental to the growth and development of the country and a sabotage to revenue generation, and gave a stern warming to such operators to desist or face the wrath of the law.

Adeyeye said “registration numbers are allowed on registered approved businesses only.

“We now have the information on those using fake NAFDAC registration number, claimed to be approved by the agency; we are out to catch the perpetrators and would be used to set examples to unpatriotic citizens.”

She also spoke on an incident where only three numbers were approved for a business owner, but such person was using the numbers for six different products, adding that “NAFDAC is watching.”

She called on media officers to assist the agency in bringing such perpetrators to book, saying that collaboration would assist the agency in that direction.

She pledged to fight dirty with importers of sub-standard drugs and other consumables, adding that “many are still bent in
the production of such goods.”

According to her, there are many cases in court at the moment on those Nigerians who have refused to do the right thing.

“We have culprits; some unscrupulous importers at Alagbon custodian in Lagos; they are there until they take bail.

“There are many cases in court right now as we speak, some have been jailed five years, I think that is the best punishment
we have gotten without option of fine.

“Our Act is undergoing legislative amendment as we speak, if we do not have strong deterrent, these unlawful citizens will go back, so we are working on all fronts to deter such people.

“So, in terms of naming and shaming, we are working as much as we should. In publicity, we do more, so it is fire for fire, fighting substandard medicine is a constant battle.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure that we mitigate substandard falsified medicines. Hawkers are another problem
that we have to face. I think it is a tradition problem but our director of FCT is going after hawkers, it is something we have to keep doing,” she stressed.

The NAFDAC boss also spoke on manpower, saying the agency is in need of more staff, especially on post marketing surveillance.

She cautioned Nigerians against weight loss capsules, saying there are many tablets and preparations claimed to be effective in losing
weight which may cause other health complications.

She called on Nigerians to always check the expiry date, date of manufacture before buying any product and advised Nigerians to be vigilant and to safeguard their health. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews

By Obinna Unaeze

By Ramatu Garba
Kano:  The National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged journalists in the country to join the collective effort on the dangers of bleaching creams.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the call at a Media sensitisation workshop on dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory controls, which was organised for the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists.

Adeyeye said the workshop is aimed at educating and challenging Nigeria health journalists to play prompt line role in the agency’s effort to eradicate the menace of bleaching creams.

“In 2022 the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, wrote to NAFDAC stressing the need to take stringent regulatory action against the rampant cases of some Nigerians using bleaching creams.

“We immediately took action and made a large seizure and distruction of violating products in trade fair.

”Bleaching creams damage vital organs in the body, skin irritation, allergy, skin burn, rashes, wrinkles and prolong healing of wounds.
“Black is beautiful, we don’t need to change our colour,” she said.

She said that in 2018 the World Health Organisation revealed that the use of bleeching cream is prevalent among 77 per cent of Nigerian women, which is the highest in Africa compared to 59 per cent in Togo.

The director-general also said South Africa accounted for 35 per cent while Senegal had 27 per cent .

”This scary statistics has shown that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi faceted regulatory approach.

“NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media, as we strive to bringdown to the grass root levels positive impact of our regulatory activities.”
Also speaking, NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Dr Abubakar Jimoh said the workshop was to educate the mass media with the right information and campaign against use of bleaching creams in Nigeria.

“Public ignorance is not an excuse before the law. The role of the mass media in promotion of public health is very important not only for cosmetics and all other NAFDAC regulatory products” Jimoh said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews

Flowerbudnews

By Stella Kabruk
Kaduna:  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
has urged manufacturers of regulated products in Kaduna State to hasten registration of their products or face sanction.

The NAFDAC Coordinator in Kaduna State, Nasiru Mato, said this in an interview with the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Mato identified marketing authorisation, quality, safety, efficacy, competitiveness and fulfillment of the
law as some of the benefits of product registration.

He also listed adequate documentation, good manufacturing practices and report of laboratory analysis as part of the processes for product registration.

He said the agency had deployed new improved NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS)- a fast end-to-end electronic- based platform for processing of client applications, vetting of documents and product approval.

“The system offers an enhanced and retrievable database for all NAFDAC registered regulated products.

“The transparency of the digitized registration process is interactive; and allows for an interface with clients at every step, from start to finish.

“Clients can monitor the registration status of their products at any point as long as there is internet connectivity.

“The NAFDAC Reg. Number on any regulated product has a fixed validity period, and must be renewed at the appropriate time before its expiration.

“And just like fresh or new application for registration, licence renewal is also processed on-line,” he said

Mato said that NAFDAC offers a three months penalty waiver window period to manufacturers to ease renewal of product licence.

He, therefore, urged manufacturers of regulated products whose licences have expired to take advantage of the window and renew them.

He commended the Director– General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, for providing the enabling environment for enhanced and sustainable regulatory activities. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews

Flowerbudnews

By Sunday John

Lafia: The National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday, destroyed fake and unwholesome regulated products worth more than N326 million in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was conducted by the North Central zonal office of the agency with the products mopped up from Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Kwara, Niger and Nasarawa states.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said that the destroyed products included medicines, food, cosmetics and chemicals, which were either confiscated or voluntarily handed over by compliant companies and other stakeholders.

Adeyeye, represented by Mr Francis Ononiwu, the Agency’s Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, said the destruction of the products was to prevent their reintroduction into the distribution chain.

The DG noted that the importation, distribution and sales of fake, unsafe and wholesome NAFDAC regulated products represented grave unslaught on human life.

Adeyeye said that the agency, by its establishment Act Cap LFN, 2004, was saddled with the responsibility to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs and medical products.

She, therefore, solicited the support and cooperation of stakeholders and the public in order to rid the country of fake medicines and other products.

In his remarks, the North Central Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Pharm. Mohammed Shaba, explained that the destruction was a routine exercise, adding that the products were mopped up from five states within the zone.

He said that most of the violators have been prosecuted with some serving prison terms and others paying fines.

Shaba said that the agency was resolute and would not spare any violator of the regulated products.

He, however, advised users of consumables to always check both the manufacting and expiry dates as well as NAFDAC registration numbers on products before purchase.

Shaba urged the public to report to the agency or security outfit any person or group dealing in fake, unregistered and unwholesome products. (NAN). (www.nannews.ng). /Flowerbudnews

Flowerbudnews

By Kemi Akintokun

Lagos, Feb. 23, 2023 (NAN) The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos State branch, has appealed to the Federal Government to stop the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from collecting exorbitant amount before destroying expired drugs.

Lawrence Ekhator, the Chairman of ACPN Lagos Branch, made the appeal in Lagos during its Annual General Meeting.

According to Ekhator, paying exorbitant amount to NAFDAC for destruction of expired drugs after losing money through expiration of such drugs will amount to double jeopardy.

“We are appealing to the government to intervene in the exorbitant amount we pay to NAFDAC before destroying expired drugs.

“Community Pharmacists in true conscience, cannot pay to destroy a product that we have lost money on through expiration.

“For us, that will amount to double jeopardy, and we cannot afford to do it.

“We decided to voluntarily bring out these expired drugs to be destroyed by NAFDAC as professionals,” he said.

Ekhator urged NAFDAC to revisit its position, noting that failure to do so may encourage sharp practices that can put the lives of Nigerians at risk.

He said that the destruction of expiry drugs should be a seamless process, adding that it was part of NAFDAC statutory mandate to destroy expired drugs.

“There are so many other outlets in open drug markets that do not carry out this exercise. But in a situation where we try to do the right thing and we are slammed with heavy fines for doing the right thing.

“We are calling on NAFDAC and the Ministry of Health to look into this issue and ensure that community pharmacists get the expired drugs destroyed seamlessly,” he said. (NAN) www.nannews.ng /Flowerbudnews

Flowerbudnews

By Olatunde Ajayi

Ibadan:   Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has cautioned Nigerians against continuous use of bleaching creams, saying it poses enormous danger to human health.

Adeyeye spoke at the Media Sensitisation Workshop on the Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Control organised for the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists on Friday in Ibadan.

According to her, some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include cancer, damage to vital organs of the body, skin irritation and allergy, skin burns and rashes, wrinkles, premature skin ageing and prolonged healing of wounds.

She said that NAFDAC had organised the sensitisation workshop for the health journalists in different zones of Nigeria, in which the South- West edition in Ibadan was the fourth in Nigeria.

“NAFDAC will continue to recognise the partnership, involvement and important roles of journalists in taking message of the dangers in the continuous use of bleaching creams to the grassroots through their various platforms, ” she said.

Adeyeye added that NAFDAC has been carrying out a lot of raids on manufacturers, stores and the bleaching cosmetics products retail outlets in fulfilment of its mandate of safeguarding the health of the nation.

She said that NAFDAC would heighten surveillance on the Spas in the country and raise sensitisation campaign on the dangers in continuous use of the bleaching creams.

“We discovered that many operators of the Spas lack knowledge that mixing up different ingredients, either organic or inorganic to form cosmetics can result to bad effect on the users.

“Nigerian should always know that black is beautiful and they do not need to bleach their skin to please anyone,” she cautioned.

Also, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, the Director, South-West Zone of NAFDAC, stressed the need for NAFDAC to build capacity and strengthen Cosmetovigilance, a concept of safety monitoring of cosmetics products.

According to her, this refers to the post-marketing surveillance of undesirable effects of cosmetics products.

Ajayi added that growing adoption of cosmetics products in developed and developing countries would primarily drive the global market growth of the products.

“The risks associated with cosmetics products has elevated the need for cosmetovigilance services,” she said.

Commenting, Dr Leonard Omokpariola, the Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research, NAFDAC, said that the prolonged usage of cosmetics products could cause harm to human body, either topically or systemically, especially when used or applied to the skin.

Omokpariola warned that the chemicals in some cosmetics products “are endocrine disruptors”, saying that it could lead to early puberty and low sperm count in men due to high estrogenic activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sensitisation workshop featured technical sessions, lectures, presentation on dangers in continuous use of bleaching creams, questions and answers among others.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

Flowerbudnews

By Biola Lawal

Lagos: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is set for another big international Achievement for Nigeria as its Laboratory Comes Under Consideration for Chemical Weapons Testing designation status by the world Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Flowerbudnews recall that NAFDAC had in recent time, successfully put Nigeria on the global scene by achieving the World Health Organisation (WHO) Level 03 Certification which launched the country on the path to becoming a vaccine manufacturing nation

The impending OPCW Chemical Weapons Testing Designation Status received a major boost following the visit of experts from the OPCW to NAFDAC’s central laboratory in Oshodi, Lagos on Thursday.

They came for inspection and assessment of facilities to be deployed for the global assignment, a statement by Sayo Akintola Resident Media Consultant disclosed.

The consideration of Nigeria for the global assignment followed the nation’s massive investment in the laboratory of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC,

”Nigeria has been chosen to be considered for Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) laboratory designation, ” the statement said.

This meant that all chemicals that are associated with weapons of destruction, both biological and chemical, can be tested in the NAFDAC laboratory.

(R-L. Dr. Roman Warchol, Team leader, Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), The Hague, Netherlands, Director General. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye,  Lauri Manravaara and Aleski Rapo, both experts from the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) Helsinki, Finland, during a facilities inspection and assessment visit to NAFDAC’s Central Laboratory in Oshodi, Lagos with a view to considering Nigeria as a site for testing chemicals that are associated with weapons of destruction, both biological and chemical, by OPCW…on Thursday.)

Nigeria and Kenya are the only two countries in Africa so chosen for consideration by the global body, the NAFDAC statement disclosed.

Officials of OPCW based in The Hague, Netherlands, came with some experts on laboratory assessment from the Finnish Institute of Verification of Chemical Weapons Convention, (FERIVIN) based in the University of Helsinki.

Leader of the team, Dr. Roman Warchol, expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided by NAFDAC, saying they were comparable to whatever could be found anywhere in the advanced economy of the world.

He said they came to Nigeria to assess the NAFDAC’s laboratory and see the level of competency, the equipment available for the possible designation of the laboratory.

‘’I’m very happy and satisfied with what Ive seen here’’, said the OPCW top official.

The ostensibly elated Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that ‘’we have been on this for about four years. Except for the COVID-19 period which really affected activities’’

She said ‘’we are going on proficiency testing and we have gone from ‘Participation’ to ‘Very Good’ which is the highest level in the OPCW’s assessment’’.

The NAFDAC boss said she was excited because the experts from Hague and Helsinki were overwhelmed with the Agency’s facilities, adding that they were highly impressed by the competency of NAFDAC staff and the level of understanding.

(R-L. Director General. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Aleski Rapo, Lauri Manravaara, both experts from the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) Helsinki, Finland and Team leader, Dr. Roman Warchol, of the Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), The Hague, Netherlands)

‘’We did all our presentations. There was little or no questions. All we are now discussing is level of improvement, areas that we should improve to make it a bigger say.

They were overwhelmed by the commitment of the Agency and the National Authority for Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention (NAC&BWC) in Nigeria, and the Federal Government to the project, she enthused.
Prof Adeyeye further explained:

‘’we are not at war, yes, but we are not only to be testing for Nigeria. We are not only going to be testing the samples that will be used in Nigeria.

In Africa, we are only two sites, Nigeria and Kenya that are being considered for this. We will cover the West Africa and some parts of Africa and the world.

Wherever there are skirmishes or the use of weapons, it might not only be war situation, NAFDAC could be invited to draw sample(s) and then test for the possibility of using harmful chemicals that could be lethal to people.

In line with her mandate and to effectively cover regulations and control of industrial and laboratory chemical, Prof Adeyeye said NAFDAC undertakes the monitoring and control of chemicals through the Directorates of Chemical Evaluation & Research, Narcotics and Control Substances, and Laboratory Services (Food & Chemicals).

Going down the memory lane, she disclosed that on 23rd February 2018, the then Chairman, National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention (NAC&BWC), along with his delegate, visited the NAFDAC Central Laboratory, Oshodi to assess the facility on ground for participation in OPCW testing of materials associated with Chemical Weapons. In October 2018 we participated in the CCACT-097.

The Agency has now improved to the score of Very Good in our last participation CCACT-15 in October 2022.

She further disclosed that the Nigerian Federal Government through NAC&BWC provided an intervention fund in February 2020 valued at about N735m to provide various equipment for the laboratory, stressing that through internally generated revenue, more equipment pieces were added. Since then, the Agency had used her IGR to add more equipment pieces.

She said that the Agency will also expand the laboratory space for OPCW in the new building to be constructed soon.

‘’The assistance and contribution of the United Kingdom in assessing and improving the technical competence of laboratory in OPCW member States in Africa and Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC)GRULAC regions which we benefited has helped since 2021 to improve our performance and technical capacity’’, she said,

adding that NAFDAC staff have participated in the mentorship programme by Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention VERIFIN Helsinki.

Prof Adeyeye said this was done virtually until their physical training in February 2023. According to her, these efforts helped to improve technical ability of staff and their reporting techniques.

Due to importance of the OPCW project to the Agency and the efforts of the international partners, she said the oversight office was moved in January 2023 to Director General Office to underscore the importance for the country.

‘’We are highly indebted to the International Cooperation and Assistance Division, OPCW for facilitating the Memorandum of Understanding and implementing the assistance,’’ she said, adding that the National Authority has been proactive at endorsing NAFDAC’s application for CCACT-testing.

Prof. Adeyeye however assured everyone of the resolve of the to strive to obtain the OPCW- Designated status in no distant future.(Flowerbudnews)