Blog

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 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 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 Biola Lawal

Lagos: (Flowerbudnews)The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is partnering Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Importers To Achieve WHO ML4 for Nigeria and begin local manufacturing of vaccines

A NAFDAC statement by Sayo Akintola, Resident Media Consultant made available to Flowerbudnews on Sunday in Abuja disclosed that major players in the nation’s pharmaceutical industry under the aegis of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group- Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) have pledged to collaborate with NAFDAC

The collaboration is to give effect to NAFDAC’s renewed efforts to attain the World Health Organization WHO Maturity Level 4 status and launch Nigeria into the league of Vaccines and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) producers in the world.

The manufacturers, led by the Chairman of PMG-MAN, Dr Fidelis Ayebae, commended the Agency on the achievement of WHO Maturity Level 3.

Dr  Ayebae stressed that the group would do everything humanly possible to support NAFDAC to continue to excel in creating an enabling environment for the industry to thrive.

‘’Let me assure you ma, that if there is one body in foods and drugs and other related chemicals which are under your purview, that want you to succeed more than anything else, that you can call success, it is PMG-MAN, he said.

Dr Ayebae who is also the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, of Fidson Healthcare Plc, vowed to galvanize other chief executive officers of pharmaceutical companies in the country to ensure that they have a collaborative relationship with the regulatory body.

This he noted was to make NAFDAC’s oversight responsibility over the industry most effective and help the industry to grow.

He added that his body would form a technical committee with NAFDAC that would work with the Agency to ensure that the industry attains greater heights.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, at a hybrid stakeholders meeting organized by the Agency in Lagos on Pharmaceutical Traceability disclosed that the nation has to maintain the Maturity Level 3 attained last year by continuing to adhere strictly to the Best Global Practices in regulatory responsibility.

‘’We are going to strengthen our operations and be more effective. We are going to get ML4. We are going to get marked for World Listed Authority apart from ML4.’’, she said.

Prof Adeyeye, in a statement signed by the Resident Media Consultant of NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, said that the Agency just met all the requirement of ML3, stressing that ‘’while doing that we got some requirements also satisfied under ML4, but not all. Which means our journey is not going to be as difficult as it was for the last four plus years’’.

She emphasized the importance of WHO ML4 which according to her would further boost the trade aspect of the Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry without diminishing its health implications for the Nigerian populace.

The NAFDAC boss said Nigerians would be more confident of the medicines that they take since the process embarked upon by the Agency is aimed at mitigating against substandard and falsified medicines to a very low prevalence.

She disclosed that it took Ghana 13 years to get ML3 while it took Nigeria four years to attain the prestigious status, adding that achieving ML4 will really help the country’s manufacturing industry to grow.

‘’It will also help importers that are migrating from importation of pharmaceutical products to local manufacturing. It will help in terms of trade’’.

She reiterated that NAFDAC will continue to do quality assessment that will lead to trade in the global arena whether in West Africa or globally. ‘’That is what our journey towards ML4 is going to lead to’’.

She further explained that the regulatory body will use the ML3 and categorization of companies into low, medium and high risk based on compliance of Good Manufacturing Practice GMP to negotiate, discuss, with procurement agencies and government international partners like UNICEF so that more local manufacturing companies would be encouraged, and more liberation would be encouraged.

‘’If there is opportunity to trade or sell it means more companies will be doing liberation or doing partnership. What we want to ensure is that no substandard medicine is exported from Nigeria so that we can foster trade, we can increase our GDP, increase our forex, reduce unemployment, make ourselves proud. Since this is on a global platform, we have to use international standard’’.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye explained, a Nigerian entrepreneur produced the medical masks that were exported to the U.S. ‘’We got the approval for these medical masks. They were exported to the US under Emergency Use Authorization. That’s the first medical product that Nigeria would make that would get to the shores of the US’’.

She said when it got to the US, they said no. Can anything good come out of Nigeria? Prof Adeyeye said the product was left at the port for about a month before it was examined, adding that they got it approved for Emergency Use Authorization and our pharmacists were so excited that a product from Nigeria can make it to a stringent regulatory country like the U.S. ‘’That is what I want to see with our products. We can do it. That is the path we are going with ML4.’’

She disclosed that the nation is already preparing for vaccine and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) manufacturing with huge Federal Government’s support to upgrade NAFDAC vaccine laboratory. She stated that the Agency vaccine laboratory is about 70 per cent completed and will be ready for use in the next six months.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said that NAFDAC is the only agency in sub-Sahara Africa that has its own inhouse biologics and vaccine laboratory. ‘’We have a lot going for us as a country. We just have to get our acts together and start producing. I know its a lot of work’’.

She however, said that government is also supporting manufacturing financially with the details being worked out, noting that the government also supported by giving intervention funds to some companies to rejig their infrastructure.

She opined that COVID-19 has thought us a lesson as a country, stressing that it has shown us that if you dont have your own you have to depend on others. She said that the COFAD facilities targeted supplying vaccine to only 20 per cent of Nigeria’s population in their vaccine distribution to low-income countries.
‘’We didnt even get to that level because of the low prevalence. But you can imagine if we had very high prevalence’’, she said, warning that, ‘’but you never know what is around the corner.

Whether its pandemic or epidemic we need to manufacture our own vaccines’’.
In preparation for that, she said NAFDAC has been going through a lot of transformation from laboratory to registration to job evaluation and research. She said staff of the Agency have gone on two rounds of training in South Korea with the support of the WHO.

Sequel to the recognition of Nigeria as one of the six countries that can manufacture vaccines in February 2022, she said the Federal Government has entered into a Public Private Partnership arrangement with Bio-vaccine. She however, enthused that one or two private companies have also indicated serious interests to manufacture vaccines in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC boss urged manufacturers to know their chain. ‘’You must know your distributors, the wholesalers, retailers. It is when you know your chain that you can guarantee the quality, it will be easier to follow through and it will be easier to identify anybody that is trying to infiltrate that chain, infiltrate your trade’’.

Armed with a lot of reports, she said the Agency has done its survey which indicated that, ‘’whether imported or local, we have identified some substandard and falsified medicines. That is not where we wish to be. We are doing all that we can right now to make sure that the occurrence of substandard falsified medicines is mitigated’’.

The NAFDAC boss however, warned that stringent sanctions will be meted out to perpetrators of the illicit business to send the right signals to manufacturers and importers that substandard and falsified medicines end up in treatment failures, antimicrobial resistance, increases morbidity and will not be tolerated.

Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, couldnt hid her excitement over the manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients APIs in the country. ‘’I want to say kudos to our companies especially Emzor Pharmaceuticals that has started building the manufacturing facility. This is huge for us in Africa. It’s huge for Nigerians. It involves a lot of money but that is where the gains come in’’.

‘’Manufacturing of APIs has to be strategic. everybody cannot be manufacturing antimalarials because our goal is not just for use here. It’s also for trade. When we build, they will come to Nigeria to buy’’, she said. (Flowerbudnews)

Flowerbudnews

By Biola Lawal

Lagos (Flowerbudnews): The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has concluded arrangements for collaboration with the Medical Sciences University in Ondo to further enhance realisation of the Agency’s mandate.

A NAFDAC statement made available to Flowerbudnews on Wednesday in Abuja said that the collaboration would particularly be in The areas of research, food safety and drug discovery.

NAFDAC Boss, Prof Moji Adeyeye stated that  formalisation of the collaboration would also commit the two organisations to working closely together in the areas of training, capacity building, institutional building, applied research and community-based projects.

The statement, signed by Sayo Akintola,  Resident Media Consultant stated Prof Adeyeye stressed the points at the official signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the University of Medical Sciences, (UniMed) Ondo in Lagos on Tuesday.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the two institutions would be collaborating in the areas of scientific research, such as conducting and promoting mycotoxin research, technology transfer in the area of quality control and assurance, risk assessment and management in food systems.

She added that the partnership would also seek for grants to fund collaborative Research and Development (R&D) on mycotoxin research, food safety and other related inter-disciplinary research.

The NAFDAC boss further explained that ‘’It’s a significant effort that we are trying to strengthen our cooperation and collaboration especially at this time where health and safe food have become important to the citizens of this nation.’’

She expressed worry that people die prematurely as a result of eating moulds in food. ‘’To eat food with phallotoxin or mallotoxin or whatever toxin. Many people are hypersensitive to molds in food,’’ she said,

She noted with dismay that Nigerians are so fast in attributing such deaths to witches in the village. ‘’No. it may be from our food. It may be from substandard and falsified medicines’’, she warned.

She explained that she lost her brother on September 1, 2021 to the intake of such unwholesome medicines, adding that he had complained that he took some antimalarial medicines about a year before which incapacitated him to walk without suffering a stroke. She said he also said that he had been itching for about six weeks.

‘’He didn’t have stroke. He said it is antimalarial medicine. I said what is the name of the medicine. Incidentally we were running after some antimalarials then at the Agency and it was discovered that one of the antimalarial medicines that was qualified that he might have bought,’’ she said.

She lamented that people are fond of buying medicines from patent dealers and corner drug stores or hawkers without prescription, adding that ‘’the lesson from this is that intellectual capacity drives regulatory system because if somebody doesn’t understand what food is, even starting with micronutrient in food and understanding the role of contaminants be it phallotoxin, macro toxin, whatever, it’s almost like digging one’s grave slowly

‘’The rest is history as he died a painful death in UCH’’, she noted with a tone laden with grief. She asked rhetorically ‘’how many people have gone that way?’’

That’s why I take what we are doing seriously, to safeguard the health of our people. It is about food safety. It is about medicines that do what; quality, safety, and efficacy.

She said a country that puts emphasis on science is a country that has future. Prof Mojisola Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC places great premium on deepening use of science in the regulatory processes and self-development of its officers.

She added that the Agency is also a firm believer in collaborative applied research efforts with tertiary institutions such as universities and research institutes, stressing that such research and studies are accentuated on projects and programmes leading to improvement in methodologies, development of robust regulatory policies, consumer and health products development, data generation and deployment.

Speaking in the same vein, the Vice Chancellor of University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, explained the significance of collaborative partnerships in the university system, saying ‘’we need partnerships with other organizations, Federal agencies, and private agencies’’.

He disclosed that UniMed faculty of pharmacy is supported by Olu Akinkugbe Pharms Education Trust established by the 93-year-old Prof Akin Akinkugbe, the nation’s oldest living pharmacist and national president of the pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria.

‘’We are here to channel a new pathway and to close the gaps that exist today in Nigeria health and medical system’’, he said, insisting that UniMed is one of the best places to invest in.

According to him, the university has a record of never being disrupted in its academic activities as neither COVID-19 Pandemic nor the national ASSU strike affected it. ‘’We run an undisrupted academic calendar. Eight years going, no disruption.’’

Prof. Fatusi however, urged NAFDAC personnel to come and study at the medical university, adding that he would also be very glad to have experts in the Agency to teach with the institution from the comfort of their offices using the various technology.

‘’There’s a lot of knowledge inbuilt in an organization like NAFDAC. We must find out opportunity to raise new generation of people who are not based on theory but understand the intricacies of the country and what it takes to regulate and to bring that to strengthen academic programme’’, he said, adding; ‘’we have research, pharmacy, mycotoxin and food safety, microbiology and several units that we can work with. We have Centre for herbal medicine, and drug discovery’’.(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 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 Biola Lawal

Lagos: (Flowerbudnews): Hard times now await peddlers and users of illicit drugs in the country as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) and Nigeria Customs Service have pledged to join forces to combat the menace

The Agencies, along with other stakeholders in the health sector, stated that their collaboration would also concentrate on tackling production and trafficking of illicit drugs.

They also vowed to collectively fight and curb illicit drug related organized crime.

The pledge was made on Thursday in Lagos at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022, a NAFDAC statement by Sayo Akintola,
Resident Media Consultant stated.

The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye described narcotics and psychotropic substances as indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering and that they are controlled within the framework of the three international conventions as they possess abuse liability and produce dependence in users.

‘’They are classified not on chemical nature but on the potential for abuse and the need for medical use of the substance’’, she said.

Prof. Adeyeye added that one of the control objectives is to ensure availability solely for medical and scientific uses while minimizing the possibility of diversion to illicit channels and abuse.

According to her, the policy thrust of the Agency is to ensure availability, access and rational use while preventing illicit use and abuse.

The international drug control conventions, she added, are thus interpreted to mean improved access to controlled medicines to enable countries meet their drug needs.

In other to ensure adequate availability of controlled medicines, the NAFDAC boss disclosed that the Agency in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health carried out two quantifications of narcotics and estimation of psychotropic substances and precursors in 2017 and 2019.

She said that the results of these surveys provide the evidenced-based estimation of our national annual requirements of these substances and enable the country to develop measures to achieve that delicate balance between access and control.

‘’According to the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, the prevalence of any drug use was 14.4% or 14.3 million people between the age of 15 and 64 years’’, she said, noting that this is comparatively high compared with the 2016 global annual prevalence of 5.6% among adult population.

Prof Adeyeye pointed out that the challenges arising from drug supply and consumption are not restricted to people who use drugs but have wider health, social and economic consequences on the family, community, and country.

The report, she stated further, revealed that Cannabis is the most commonly used drug, stressing that an estimated 10.8 per cent of the population or 10.6 million people, had used cannabis in the past year with the average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population put at 19 years.

‘’Cannabis use was 7 times higher among men (18.8 per cent among men vs. 2.6 per cent of women), while the gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol) was less marked’’, she said.

She however, said that Nigeria will not support the trend of legalization of cannabis for non-medical use as Nigeria lacks the financial capacity to fight cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance.

The non-medical use of Cannabis, according to Prof. Adeyeye, contravenes the United Nations Single Convention of 1961, which classifies cannabis as a highly addictive substance.

‘’The Nigeria Indian Hemp Act as well as the NDLEA Act prohibit the cultivation, production, distribution, sales and use of cannabis and its extracts or derivatives for medical or non-medical purposes’’.

She commended the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime UNODC for the assistance and support to the country in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking, and use, and in curbing related organized crime.

‘’We also appreciate INCB for the support to NAFDAC towards enhanced regulatory control of narcotics and psychotropic substances’’.

Speaking in the same vein, the Executive Chairman of NDLEA, Brigadier General, Buba Marwa, rtd. decried what he described as an upsurge in abuse of cannabis amongst the Nigerian youths with its attendant negative effects on the society.

He disclosed that the NDLEA with a view to addressing this problem conceptualized War Against Drug Abuse WADA which was launched by the Nigerian President, Mohammadu Buhari on June 26, 2021.

General Marwa who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Ekase, noted that NAFDAC has been ensuring that controlled drug essential for human survival are made available for use where necessary in line with the requirements of INCB, adding that NDLEA on its own part collaborates with NAFDAC in ensuring that the measures put in place to prevent diversion of such medicines and substances to illicit use are adhered to.

‘’In some instances, NDLEA has arrested and prosecuted some traffickers of controlled and narcotics substances intended to be diverted to illicit uses’’, he said, noting with dismay that It’s quite worrisome that chemicals intended for research and industrial purposes are finding their way into illicit drug manufacture.

‘’This is the area that NAFDAC and NDLEA need to deepen collaboration to ensure that such unwholesome acts are completely eliminated’’, he said, adding that the launch of the precursor report will go a long way to complement national efforts in this regard.

General Marwa pledged that NAFDAC and NDLEA will continue to collaborate with major stakeholders at all levels to develop an efficient value-chain and support system that will ensure access to narcotics and controlled substances for medical and strategic purposes while preventing diversion for illicit use.

‘’I sincerely hope that the global launch of the report will enhance the integration and cooperation amongst stakeholders in ensuring effective implementation for the overall benefit of the society.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Alli, Rdt. who was represented at the event by Ag. Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, A.N Dappa, also commended NAFDAC, observing that NAFDAC and NDLEA have been most wonderful.

He pledged the loyalty and support of the customs service in the task of ridding the nation of illicit drug. ‘’We have always been in partnership, and we will continue to work in close partnership with you’’, he said. (Flowerbudnews)

hoto 1.
R-L: Mrs Victoria Ekpase, who represented the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye and Prof Aderonke Adepeju-Bello of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria PSN, at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022, in Lagos…Thursday.
Photo 2
L-R: Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, Mrs Victoria Ekpase, who represented the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa Rtd, Ag. Assistant Comptroller General ACG of the Nigeria Customs Service, A.N. Dappa, who represented the Customs Service Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Alli rtd. at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022, in Lagos…Thursday