Flowerbud News

Blog

  • NAFDAC destroys fake, substandard products worth N464.7m in Northeast

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Thursday destroyed fake, expired, substandard and unwholesome products worth N464 million seized in the North East.

    Speaking at the site of the destruction in Gombe, Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, the Director-General, NAFDAC, said the products were  seized from manufacturers, importers and distributors.

    Adeyeye, who was represented by Alhaji Sabo Adamu, North East zonal coordinator of the agency said, “The estimated street value of the products is N464.7 million.

    “The products include drugs such as antibiotics, anti hypertensive and herbal remedies.

    “Food such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, nonalcoholic beverages; cosmetics such as creams, pomade and chemicals such as fake insecticide”, she said.

    She appealed to state governments to establish a Drug Abuse Control Committee involving NAFDAC and relevant agencies in the states to tackle the proliferation of drug abuse among youths in the state.

    Adeyeye called for the provision of stiffer penalties for peddlers of banned drugs.

    The D-G said NAFDAC was deeply concerned at the level of serious danger to the economic and political well being of Nigerians, especially the agile young population deeply involved in crimes under the influence of drugs.

    According to her, NAFDAC has placed embargo on the issuance and renewal of permit for the importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough syrup preparation and deployed strategies to address its menace.

    Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, represented by Mr Sammy Barka, Commissioner for Animal Husbandry and Nomadic Affairs, commended NAFDAC for safeguarding the health of Nigerians and assured of the government continued support.

    “The fight against this menace is therefore a collective responsibility as we cannot afford to live with the consequences.

    “Counterfeiting of drug is the greatest evil of our time, the highest weapon of terrorism against public health, economic sabotage, an ill wind that blows no one any good.

    “We must all rise to fight successful war against this menace, so as to have a peaceful society to live in”, he said.

    The governor urged NAFDAC to take more proactive steps toward enforcement of regulations, enhancing standards guiding production, sale and distribution of regulated products to safeguard public health.

    In his remarks, the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu-Abubakar, represented by Alhaji Inuwa Lamido, lauded the effort of NAFDAC for safeguarding public health in the country.

    He urged the agency to ensure regular monitoring of medicine vendors to ensure that only qualified and authorized persons are into the business.

    The Emir called on the people to also report any illegal act to NAFDAC to enable the agency address the problem promptly. (NAN)

  • NAFDAC to launch new compendium of regulated products

    National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is to launch  a new compendium of all registered drugs, processed food, cosmetics, packaged water and medical devices chemicals, an official has said.

    The Director of Public Affairs of NAFDAC, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said the document would be launched by the Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting holding in  Lagos on Aug. 30 and Aug, 31.

    Jimoh said the compendium, formerly known as NAFDAC Green pages, was last published 10 years ago.

    He said that the publishing of the new compendium was  one of the major landmark achievements of Adeyeye in her nine  months tenure.

    “The compendium was first introduced by the former Director–General of NAFDAC, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, as part of her concerted efforts to equip Nigerians with appropriate information that will help them distinguish between fake and unregistered drugs, processed food and other regulated products.

    “Participants at the forthcoming two-day consultative meeting include farmers, manufacturers, importers, marketers of animal feeds and poultry products, food products, cosmetics, pesticides, medical devices, herbal products and chemicals.

    “The consultative meeting will also afford the NAFDAC boss opportunity to interact with the stakeholders to tackle some regulatory issues and challenges facing the food, herbal, medical devices, veterinary, chemical and allied industries,” he said.

    Jimoh said that Adeyeye would also announce a new policy measure for combating the influx of unregistered and counterfeit regulated products into Nigeria.

    He said NAFDAC took very seriously the issue of attendance and participation of stakeholders at the meeting and urged all chief executives of invited companies to be physically.  (NAN)

  • Use of unregulated, unregistered herbal medicines dangerous – NAFDAC warns

    By Austine Elegbede/Stanley Nwanosike

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that unregulated and unregistered herbal medicines can cause serious health damages.
    The South-East Director of NAFDAC, Mrs Olajumoke Ojetokun, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.
    Ojetokun noted that though herbal medicines were not bad, but advised that such drugs ought to be regulated and duly registered to ascertain the potency or otherwise of its contents.
    She added that through regulation, the agency could also certify if ingredients were safe for human consumption especially for a period of time.
    She also noted that the common claim by some herbal medicine dealers that a particular herbal medicine could cure all sickness was far from the truth.
    “I am taken aback whenever I hear herbal medicine dealers claim that a particular herbal drug can cure all types of diseases which is not true.
    “Herbal drug dealers capitalise on the psychology of Nigerians that one herbal medicine is capable of curing several diseases instead of having to buy various other drugs to cure each category of sickness.
    “And because an average Nigerian sees this option as a way to cut cost, they opt for the herbal medicines not minding the implication of consuming the unregistered and unregulated herbal medicine,’’ she said.
    However, Ojetokun said that ignorance and economic factors were responsible for the huge patronage of herbal medicines currently being witnessed across the country.
    She also revealed that some herbal drug dealers were circumventing the certification process of products even when the procedures to register the herbal drugs had been simplified.
    According to her, the circumvention of the certification processes by herbal medicine dealers is posing serious challenge to NAFDAC in terms of regulation and control.
    “However, NAFDAC will not relent in her effort to curb the circulation and production of unregistered and unregulated herbal medicines as it has usually done.
    “So, NAFDAC is appealing for the co-operation of all in its bid to rid the country of fake and unhealthy herbal drugs as unscrupulous individuals continue to devise new means of circulating these unwholesome products,’’ she said. (NAN)

  • NAFDAC sanctions 142 biz premises and industries for sale of fake products.

    By Habibu Harisu
    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Sokoto State Office, has sanctioned 142 business premises and production industries for various offences including sale of counterfeits and adulterated products.

    The State Coordinator, NAFDAC, Mr Hamis Yahaya, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Sokoto.

    He explained that 29 of the culprits were bakeries using banned bromide substance and others were producers of sachet water, medicine stores and shops.

    Yahaya said the state office partnered with other law enforcement agencies on code compliance of products, routines inspections and surveillance raids, noting that NAFDAC conducts sensitisation campaigns at public places and schools in metropolis and local government areas.

    He explained that the state office has been educating public on the dangers of consuming counterfeits and adulterated products, adding that interactive meetings with stakeholders were also being conducted periodically.

    The coordinator commended Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) for handing over consignment of Tramadol seized at the Nigerian border when a group tried to smuggle it into the country.

    According to him, similar efforts were made in the past, saying that Nigerians should refrain from consuming Tramadol with 225mg and 200mg content as they are dangerous to health.

    He said the product regulation content in Nigeria is 50mg and any content higher than that was counterfeit not suitable to regulated control production in Nigeria.

    Yahaya added the agency enjoyed cordial working relationship with agro-allied foods and Veterinary medicine producers and dealers in the state as they were always prompt on adjusting to required control regulations at all times.

    He pointed out that agro-allied foods and medicine producers and dealers should ensure proper production guidelines, have best storage systems and adhere to expiry date control and other regulations binding on the practices.

    On exclusive breastfeeding, the coordinator said he led team to educated mothers at hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages across the state and advised parents to adhere to exclusive breastfeeding practice to ensure healthy children.

    He also cautioned parents against patronising all forms of milk for their infants and urged people to always read content value, production and expiry dates, location of manufacturer and registration numbers of all products before buying.

    Yahaya also advised people to always pour water, juice and other watery consumables in a cup before drinking, stressing that such practice would allow consumer to identify contamination and other physical contents presence in the product.

    He called on people to always report any anomalies detected to NAFDAC office or nearest authorities for action, saying that safeguarding public health should be a collective responsibility of all citizens.

    The coordinator said one codeine abuse related case and only two consumers complains on sachet water were recorded on bad or suspicious products this year.

    Yahaya urged the people to cultivate the habit of reporting any products suspected to be counterfeit or adulterated to the agency. (NAN)

  • NAFDAC raids compound, impound suspected fake products in Okpanam

    By Ifeanyi Olannye

    Operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Delta have raided a compound in Okpanam, near, Asaba where fake and unwholesome products are allegedly manufactured.

    The NAFDAC State Coordinator, Jude Ndekile, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Thursday.

    Ndekile said: “when we stormed the compound, we noticed that a lot of illegal activities were going on. We arrested a suspect and recovered all the products with fake NAFDAC registration numbers.

    “Some of the products recovered include, Oral Dental Teeth Bleach, Bodylab Chocolate, Bio-Sugar, Audrey Pink Lips Barm, Betimol, Froyz Chocolates, Slimming Tea, among others.”

    He said that the labels of the fake products had no existing contact addresses adding that the raid followed a tip-off from some concerned residents.

    Ndekile said that the team also recovered packaging materials, a sealing machine, labels and other items used by the suspect.

    He said that for about three years now the agency had been on trail of Oral Dental Teeth Bleach but that at a point it disappeared from circulation.

    He added: “when we noticed that the product returned to circulation, we began a follow-up investigation and based on tip-off from concerned citizens, we had to raid the area.

    “The combined team that carried out the raid comprises the Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Foods; NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Lagos and the Delta Office.

    He said that all the products had been evacuated from the place of production to NAFDAC office in Asaba, adding that the agency would follow up with mop-up of the products from the various sales outlets.

    “Investigation is ongoing and will be seen to a logical conclusion, but I will advise the general public to be sure of the outlets where they buy their products.

    “All major outlets must verify and insist on NAFDAC registration of the company or producer they are dealing with and whenever they are not sure, they must contact NAFDAC,” he said.(NAN)

  • NAFDAC will improve consultations, robust interaction with stakeholders- DG

    By Oluwakemi Oladipo

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says it will improve consultations, robust interaction and dialogue with all stakeholders to act as a guide and partner.

    Its Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, made the assertion at a stakeholders’ meeting tagged: “A Date with the Director-General, NAFDAC’’ on Thursday in Lagos.

    Adeyeye said that such meeting would help to increase collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure that the regulator, the regulated and other stakeholders were in line with NAFDAC.

    “The overall aim of this collaboration is for the agency to act as a guide and partner rather than policy they regulated.

    “A Date with the DG’  is expected to provide a platform for discourse and exchange of information, which relates to our expectations from the regulated sector and get feedback.

    “We are committed to regulatory reform and to strengthening our regulatory framework to enhance our efficiency and improve on service delivery.

    “To increase efficiency, we have embraced fully the deployment and use of information technology in our operations.

    “Our website has been revamped to increase transparency and we will continue to strive to build a more robust information technology platform.

    “We have enhanced our communication mode with the use of emails with all staff activating their official NAFDAC emails to ease communication with our stakeholders as well as fostering internal communication,” Adeyeye said.

    She said that NAFDAC was currently re-equipping its laboratories and would be upgraded to ensure we maintain and expand accreditations, which we have attained.

    “In order to ensure effective discharge of our regulatory functions, the agency has developed regulations and guidelines to aid compliance with regulatory provisions.

    “We have recently revised 25 existing regulations and harmonised 65 guidelines. These have been posted and are available on our website.

    “We have adopted a risk-based approach in the inspection of foreign facilities, which is aimed at making inspections, more efficient and targeted at high-risk products and manufacturers.

    “It is critical that we remain in sync with the global landscape and proactive as well as reactive as the case may be.

    “This has been evidenced by the series of alerts issued by the agency in the face of threat as well as the recall of some products in the interest of public health.

    “The agency has remained undaunted in its efforts to reduce the incidence of substandard and falsified products, as well as the smuggling and abuse of various products,” she said.

    According to Adeyeye, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on May 18, 2017 signed the Executive Order 001 on promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment.

    “We have continued to work with the presidential enabling business environment council to deliver on this and improve service delivery to customers in a more transparent and efficient manner.

    “With this in mind, we worked to clear a backlog of 6,000 applications for registration nationwide.,” the director-general said.

    Adeyeye appealed to the industry to support NAFDAC by adhering to the agency’s laws and regulations.

    She said: “They are also encouraged to ensure their operations and activities are in line with NAFDAC’s extant laws and regulations.

    “Companies should ensure that they maintain a robust system, which allows for effective monitoring and control of their products that are already in trade.

    “This is necessary for effective intervention in the event of unexpected product defects, which may necessitate immediate product recall.

    “The agency has noticed with grave concern the trend of ripening of fruits with calcium carbide. This practice should be discouraged, as this is injurious to health.

    “Also, inappropriate use of agrochemicals for preservation and storage of raw food items should be stopped.”

    Adeyeye said that these practices constitute great danger to health and become toxic residues with deleterious long-term health effects.

    “The agency is in the process of publishing a compendium of registered NAFDAC regulated products which has also been hosted on our website.

    “The compendium is a veritable source of information and reference material for all stakeholders and consumers of NAFDAC regulated products,” she said. ( NAN)

  • Canned sardine: NAFDAC cautions public against consumption of 2 brands

    By Mustapha Sumaila

    The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Tuesday alerted general public against consumption of TL Tan Lung and TLC brands of canned sardine.

    The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, gave the warning in Abuja.

    Adeyeye explained that TL Tan Lung and TLC brands were produced by Chinese companies known as Fujian Yongfa Co. Ltd, and Dongshan Dongyi Food Co. Ltd., respectively.

    She said that NAFDAC had been notified that the Malaysian Ministry of Health on April 20, 2018 in Kuala Lumpar Malaysia, recalled the two canned sardine products.

    Adeyeye said that the products did not comply with the standards set by 1983 Food Act and was recalled due to presence of nematode parasitic worms in the products.

    The director-general also cautioned all importers not to import the affected canned sardines into the country.

    “Anybody in possession of the unwholesome canned sardines should submit them to the nearest NAFDAC Office.

    “Consumers are encouraged to report all adverse events resulting from the use of these products to the nearest NAFDAC office,” she said. (NAN)

  • NAFDAC taps cyber space to achieve its mandate – Prof Adeyeye

    By Fortune Abang

    Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said on Tuesday that the agency would overhaul its cyber space to achieve its operational mandate.

    Adeyeye said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that limited internal communication could hamper the agency’s relationship with stakeholders.

    According to her, although the agency is not currently experiencing cyber space challenges, it envisages that it will in the future, just like other organisations.

    “Any establishment that works on the internet has to be secured; NAFDAC deals with thousands of confidential information of customers, food companies, drug companies and we need to keep them confidential.

    “Internally, we have lots of confidential information that we have to keep to ourselves and also internationally we relate with other regulatory agencies.

    “If we are exchanging information then it becomes very necessary to keep our data secured; so as a regulatory agency, we have to have good cyber security.

    “We deal with a lot of customers and there are some that will forge our certificates and NAFDAC numbers and those are the types of things we need to have control of.

    “Once we have a close system that we can monitor ourselves easily, then such challenges will be reduced and we can achieve our mandate with ease,” Adeyeye said.

    According to him, when the goal is achieved, it will help to strengthen effective communication internally and internationally with other regulatory stakeholders in the drug administration and control sector.

    The director-general said that plans were underway to expand the agency’s web space to create room for video conferencing and relationship with the public to achieve desired goals.

    She said that such plans included upgrade of the agency’s laboratories to improve the standard of testing medicines and foods to meet international best practices.

    NAFDAC operational mandate include to regulate and control importation, exportation, manufacturing, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, chemicals and detergents.(NAN)

  • NAFDAC plans 10-year limit on registration of imported drugs

    By Oluwakemi Oladipo and Omowunmi Alake

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it plans to place a 10-year limit on registration of imports on pharmaceutical to encourage local production of drugs.

    The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye said this at a stakeholders’ meeting tagged: “A Date with the Director- General, NAFDAC” on Friday in Lagos.

    The NAFDAC boss said that the Agency would increase its vigilance activities and spot checks to ensure consistent product quality.

     “We have developed relevant guidelines and documents to enhance pharmaco vigilance and post marketing surveillance activities in the country.

    “This has been evidenced by the series of alerts issued by the agency in the face of threats as well as the recall of some products in the interest of public health,” she said.

    Adeyeye said that the agency remained undaunted in its efforts to reduce the incidence of substandard and falsified products as well as the smuggling and abuse of various products.

    She said: “We are doing so many things to address the issue of drug abuse by laying an embargo on importation of codeine through inspections and surveillance.

    “We are planning nationwide campaign on drug abuse, going to secondary schools to talk about the effect of drug abuse which is going to be a yearly campaign.

    Also speaking, Dr Okechukwu Akpa, Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of  Manufacturers Association of  Nigeria (PMG-MAN), urged government to make the pharmaceutical industry a  priority industry in the country.

    Akpa said that pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria had potential to play a major role in economic development, improve healthcare system, job creation and technological development.

    “We are happy on the 10 years limit on registration of imports because it will help us manufacture more drugs, boost and have more commitment to Nigeria’s economy.

     “Many countries such as India, China and Malasia are into making their drugs amd that is why they growing economically and their health system are good.

    “We are over 180 million in Nigeria and we keep increasing, protecting our local drugs will help us to provide job opportunities for Nigerians, and wellbeing of people,” he said. (NAN)