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Tag: NAFDAC

  • NAFDAC re-arraigns man for selling unregistered custard, sugar

    NAFDAC re-arraigns man for selling unregistered custard, sugar

    A 40-year-old man, Adumeta Nduka, was Tuesday re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos, for manufacturing and selling unregistered food products.

    Nduka, of No. 3 Saturday Close, Salolo, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, is facing a five-count charge proffered against him by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    When he was first arraigned on Dec. 9, 2014, the accused pleaded not guilty, and Justice John Tsoho granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in the like sum.

    The accused then failed to show up for his trial and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued on September 22.

    However, Tuesday, Justice Tsoho lifted the warrant following an explanation by the defence counsel Mr Oluwole Olusi.

    The court then granted the plea of the prosecutor, Mr Washington Adumen, for the accused to be re-arraigned.

    Mr. Adumen told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 6, 2014.

    He alleged that the accused manufactured Nourish Gold Banana, Vanilla and Chocolate Custard, as well as Falcon Refined Sugar without NAFDAC registration.

    He added that the products were packaged and labelled at No 3, Saturday Close, Salolo in Lagos and that the accused engaged in the sale of the unregistered products to members of the public contrary to the provision of the law.

    The offence contravened the provision of sections 1, 5 (a), and 17 of the Food and Drugs Act, Cap. F32, Laws of the Federation, 2004, the prosecutor said.

    The accused pleaded not guilty on all counts.

    Justice Tsoho ordered that the accused should continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted him and adjourned the case till February 9 for trial.

     

  • NAFDAC calls for more research into indigenous stimulants

    NAFDAC calls for more research into indigenous stimulants

    The Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, has urged industries in the country to provide funds for researches and development of pharmaceutical activities needed in the production of indigenous stimulants.

    Orhii made the call at the 4th International Conference on Africa’s Indigenous Stimulants, held at the Centre for black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo, Osun State.

    The NAFDAC boss, who was represented by a director in the agency, Dr.Bukar Ali Usman, noted that researches are now revealing the huge benefit of traditional plants used to produce indigenous stimulants.

    Speaking on the theme ‘Utilization of Africa’s Indigenous Stimulants as a Key to Poverty Eradication’, Orhii urged government at all levels to create jobs through traditional plants, and warned that the agency would not relent in evaluating new products that incorporates indigenous stimulants.

    Speaking during the conference, representative of Kasapreko Nigeria, Mr. Peter Adegor, enumerated the health benefits of indigenous stimulants and also explained that indigenous stimulants are not dangerous for human body.

    He, however, warned against abuses.

    The conference was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, former Ambassador of Nigeria to Brazil, Dr. Patrick Dele-Cole and the Director General of the Centre for Black Arts and African Civilization, Dr. Ferdinand Anikwe.

  • NAFDAC impounds fake skin bleaching cream, soap in Lagos

    NAFDAC impounds fake skin bleaching cream, soap in Lagos

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) this Saturday impounded fast-moving substandard skin lightening cream, bathing soap and serum worth millions of naira in Lagos. It also sealed three shops in connection with the offensive products.

    The suspected fake products identified as Q7 Range of cosmetics products impounded during the agency’s raid and enforcement exercise at the Lagos Trade Fair complex includes Q7 Whiteniser body milk strong treatment, Q7 Carotte Multi- active Whitening Serum, Ndak Q7 Whitening body lotion with manufacturing dates: 07/2015 and expiry dates: 06/2020 and Q7 Gold soap, among others.

    The impounded products originally registered with NAFDAC by ‘Visible Image Cosmetics Company Nigeria Limited’, were said to have been brought into the country through illegal sources yet-to-be identified.

    The bubble, however, burst when intelligence and surveillance by NAFDAC confirmed the presence of the offending products in some shops and warehouse at the Trade Fair market complex.

    Addressing journalists shortly after the raid in company of other regulatory officers and security operatives, the team leader and Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement Operations, Mr Joseph Idowu, confirmed that the raid became necessary following intelligence reports about the presence of the offending products in the markets and shops.

    Idowu noted that the agency had already evacuated the suspected injurious products, sealed the shops and invited the shop owners for further interrogation and investigation.

    He explained that the products were impounded because they were unregistered and from illegal sources. “We are removing from the market Q7 range of products suspected to be fake.The agency had registered Q7 range of products with NAFDAC numbers on them. But from what we are seeing from the products evacuated, you can observe that NAFDAC number is not on them and they are coming from unauthorised sources”.

    Idowu said: “We have given them invitation to report on Monday and have sealed the shops. We expect them to tell us how and where they get the products from. As soon as the owners open up, we will send the products to the laboratory for further analysis to ascertain the genuineness of the products after which the agency will take a decision.”

    He disclosed that in conjunction with the original brand owners of the products, NAFDAC would continue to mop up the offending products anywhere it was found.

    On the health implications of the products, the enforcement officer who regretted that the products could be injurious to health said: “Any product not registered and tested by NAFDAC has not been certified to be fit for consumers. These products contain injurious substances that are harmful to the skin, and if allowed into the market people will be buying products that can cause health hazards to them.”

    He regretted that despite the enlightenment campaigns, consultative meetings, sensitisation workshops and other methods adopted over the years to discourage importation, distribution, sales and consumption of these products, people continued to engage in violation of regulatory requirements.

    He consequently asked for the cooperation of members of the public to assist to expose the major importers and distributors of these outlawed products and their warehouses.

    In the fight against the menace of counterfeit regulated products in the country, NAFDAC also received two Toyota Hilux Trucks donated by the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG). The vehicles are intended to ease operational hardship experienced by the Agency particularly in the hinterlands.

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Babs Omotowa, who presented the vehicles to the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, in Abuja said the gesture was part of the collaboration between the two organisations and the company’s modest support of the tremendous work being done by NAFDAC in safeguarding the health and economy of the nation.

  • EU ban on Nigeria’s food exports: NAFDAC’s rescue measure

    EU ban on Nigeria’s food exports: NAFDAC’s rescue measure

    The recent ban on Nigeria‘s value-added agricultural exports to Europe hangs precariously like the sword of Damocles threatening to imperil our already battered economy. President Muhammadu Buhari‘s concerted efforts to restore the lost glory of agriculture as the mainstay of our economy faces a major obstacle from the suspension order by the European Union.

    In June this year, the EU placed a temporary ban on export of some food products such as beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, meat, pea nuts and palm oil. Even cocoa, cashew nuts and some other food products were rejected in Japan, USA and other countries on the ground of poor quality. The temporary ban which ends on 30th June 2016 may be extended by the European Union Commission if urgent and decisive actions are not taken by concerned government agencies. This is obviously bad news in the wake of decline in foreign exchange earnings from oil and tell-tale signs of economic recession.

    Political pundits have blamed the problem on international food politics by Western powers trying to undermine Nigeria‘s efforts to diversify her monolithic dependence on oil as source of foreign exchange earnings. Some quality control exports within the regulatory authorities believe that unscrupulous exporters of foods who circumvent quality control procedures put in place by NAFDAC, SON, and quarantine services contributed immensely to the avalanche of international rejections of foods exported from Nigeria to Europe and other countries.

    The international rejections were predicated on non adherence to global standards, presence of contaminants (mycotoxins and pesticide residues) poor packaging. NAFDAC‘s record showed that in the last two years, Nigerian food exported to European Union border suffered more than 50 rejections as a result of unacceptable level of pesticide dichlorvos contaminant contrary to European Food safety standard. It is estimated that Nigeria loses over $4billion annually from rejections of our non-oil exports at international markets. Poor quality and low standard of over 60% of our exported food products has denied Nigeria‘s inroad to the heavily untapped trillion dollar food product markets in Europe, America and Asia. This is apparently a gold mine which previous bad agricultural policies and lack of strong political will have prevented Nigeria from exploring.

    As Nigeria‘s leading Quality Control Authority, NAFDAC has risen to the challenge with the current move by its Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii to deploy cutting-edge technology as part of the Federal Government‘s rescue package.

    Dr. Orhii is spearheading government’s intervention with a robust plan of acquiring 100 mobile motorised laboratories that will traverse remote farm and produce markets centres all over the country.

    The one-stop multi-purpose mobile laboratories will be deployed to all the 36 states of the federation and FCT, Abuja with special consideration for states with high volume of agricultural activities. The mobile laboratory testing will also encompass intensive training of farmers and produce marketers on food storage, packaging and other quality control issues.

    Apart from tackling headlong the problem of food contaminants, analysis of medicines and packaged water will also be undertaken by the mobile laboratories which Chinese state Food and Drug Authority had already deployed to revolutionise its control and regulation of food and pharmaceutical products. The proposed on the spot quality assessment and monitoring of value chain agricultural exports will boost quality of food consumed in Nigeria and also save us from the embarrassment of a permanent ban on our non-oil exports by a European Union and other countries next year.

    One may ask why is NAFDAC worried and avowedly committed to the deployment of new technologies to address frontally the issue of poor quality and standard militating against non-oil exports to international markets?

    NAFDAC has cause to be perturbed by scary and mind boggling statistical data revealing Nigeria as net importer of food products where the nation even has comparative advantage.

    In 2012, Nigeria imported N356billion worth of rice (N1billion daily), N271billion sugar and spent N50billion on importation of frozen fish when the country had capacity of producing and exporting N200billion worth of frozen fish.

    Nigeria spends a whopping sum of N11.7billion annually to import 65,809 tonnes of tomatoes and N168billion worth of fruits while Nigeria naturally should be one of the largest producers of citrus.

    This despicable and deplorable trend is what President Buhari has decided to reverse in order to restore production and export of value added agricultural products to its prestine position as number one foreign exchange earner to the nation before the discovery of oil in 1956. NAFDAC is equally conscious of the fact that President Buhari wants to use agriculture as a Trojan horse to jump start the economy. The desired outcome and multiplier effect of Mr. President‘s renewed agricultural transformation and revitalisation are multi-dimensional.

    In addition to the reversal of Nigeria‘s dependence on food imports, the twin problem of youth unemployment and mass poverty as well as food in security would have been addressed. We cannot also gloss over the ultimate quantum leap in our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    This is why the current effort of Dr. Orhii to acquire and deploy 100 mobile motorised laboratories to remote farm centres and produce markets in the 36 states of the federation and FCT Abuja must be supported overwhelmingly by the presidency, stake holders in agric-business and the Economic Management Team. A stitch in time saves nine as the clock of the one year European Union moratorium to address the issues of poor quality and standard confronting our non-oil exports is ticking.

    Jimoh is Director (Special Duties), NAFDAC

  • NAFDAC curbs unregistered food and drug products

    NAFDAC curbs unregistered food and drug products

    Gradually, but surely, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) seems to be making significant progress against the production and sale of unregistered food products.

    Recently, Mrs. Jumai Ahmed thought that the only constraint between her and becoming a successful businesswoman was just to take off in her cottage industry of producing plantain, potato chips and other confectionaries.

    Having worked everything out, or so she thought, she went to Mushin market, Lagos, for her raw materials. She ended up producing one of the tastiest and crispy plantain and potato chips. Her mission was not only to sell in Nigeria but also to export.

    She reasoned that once she is able to get her products on the shelves of Shoprite, Prince Ebeano Supermarket and other high brow popular outlets, she will be on the way to her first thousands.

    For sure, anyone who makes a first buy will come back for more as was already the case with the people in her environment. Her products were that good.

    Off she went with her two employees to Prince Ebeano Supermarket on Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC). The senior manager of the supermarket critically examined the packaging, agreeing it was nicely done. Opening a container of the product, he nodded in affirmation that it tasted excellently. Closely scrutinising the container for other printed information, he looked up for the NAFDAC registration number of the product.

    Surprised and taken aback, Mrs. Ahmed said she was yet to visit NAFDAC for that. Pronto, the supermarket manager dropped the products, saying he could not shelve NAFDAC unregistered products as he could not risk to incur the wrath of the agency.

    Disappointed but determined, she went to Shoprite head office at Victoria Island. “Has the product been certified by NAFDAC?”queried the food quality and safety manager, after having a cursory look at the packaging. “No, but I will get the registration done immediately,” replied Mrs. Ahmed, now with a little confidence. “Well, we cannot discuss further till you do that,” replied the safety manager while dismissing them.

    Completely shattered now as she was seeing her dreams gradually crumbling, she approached some of the boys who sell such things on the roads and even some corner shop owners but the story was the same. The fear of NAFDAC was upon them. The boys selling on the road gave her instances of being arrested while their unregistered products got destroyed resulting in loss of entire business capital.

    Hearing the story, I was mildly surprised and elated. If only NAFDAC and other related government agencies can show and sustain the same commitment in other sectors, the country will be a better place to stay.

    Speaking on the matter, at the agency’s office in Isolo, Lagos, a senior manager in the food directorate of the agency, said that the manufacturers and importers of drugs and food products are regularly warned of the need to get their products investigated and facilities inspected before presenting their products to the public.

    “This is necessary, so we can do the required laboratory analysis that determines if the product is good for usage and consumption though you still have some unscrupulous individuals who still manage to bypass these rules,’’ she said.

    Speaking, the manager, who cannot be mentioned because of the civil service rules, said that from time to time, shops, markets, road traders are raided by the staff of the agency and any product that has not been duly registered by the agency is seized and destroyed.

    On how often and what inspires these raids, she disclosed that “we carry out raids at least every week. We take a LGA at a time. We carry out random raids or we raid depending on tip off from the public and on each occasion, we always find substandard and unregistered products.”

    Speaking on the penalties, she explained that the charge for the sale of unregistered food, water and related products and also for the sale of such products that have expired is N200,000.00.

    If one is caught selling prohibited food, water and related products, the person gets arrested and fined N100,000.00 while the penalty for the importation of food labels, water and related products without approval attracts a fine of N150,000.00.

    Meanwhile, the investigation charge for unauthorised distribution and sale of supermarket items attracts a penalty of N150,000.00. Manufacturers are also fined N50,000 for late renewal of their papers. If a manufacturer changes his/her location without informing the agency, it gets slammed with a fine of N200,000.

    However, there are complaints from some of the stakeholders that the penalties are not enough deterrence to the activities of the importers, especially of counterfeit and adulated products who evade NAFDAC investigations and inspections.

    They are campaigning for stiffer penalties, arguing that the existing penalties were too cheap hence we still find some unregistered and adulterated products in the market.

    “Importers are exploring weak laws which only slam them with a fine or administrative charges when they are caught. This encourages importation of unregistered products because the importers would prefer to pay the fine since their profit is too good that they would not feel the impact,” lamented Mr. Cyril Onwu, a budding manufacturer.

    Only recently, the agency sealed, in Lagos Island, a warehouse belonging to H&H Integrated Nig Ltd, following the discovery of 49 counterfeit unregistered children’s products. The MD of the company was also arrested for the illegal importation, storage, distribution and sale of unregistered brands of food products and non adherence to good hygiene practices.

    Also, another recent raid on a Chinese supermarket, Danyang Trade and Laofang Chinese Food Supermarket, Lagos, unearthed over 20 types of unregistered products all labelled in Chinese language without English translation.

    NAFDAC is doing a great job of ridding the country of counterfeit and adulterated food and drug products, but stiffer penalties for people engaging in these nefarious activities will greatly reduce the number of fake products that are still in the markets.

  • NAFDAC wins global award

    NAFDAC wins global award

    In recognition of its commitment to the fight against fake drugs and counterfeiting of regulated products, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has emerged winner of this year’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting Award by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG).

    The news was conveyed through a release signed by Anslem Okonkwor of the agency’s Public Relations Unit.

    The award, which was presented to the agency over the weekend at the Annual INTERPOL IP CRIME Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was in appreciation of the many innovations, especially cutting-edge technologies the Agency has introduced in the fight against counterfeiting.

    The chairman of the GACG, Mr John Anderson, while presenting the coveted award to the Director, Investigation and Enforcement, Mr Kingsley Ejiofor, on behalf of the agency, extolled NAFDAC’s deployment of TRUSCAN and its global leadership in the authentication user category.

    GACG is a network of national and regional anti-counterfeiting organisations drawn from the European Union, North America, South America, China, India and Africa with the common objective of addressing the problems of counterfeiting and piracy by the sharing and exchange of information and participation in appropriate join activities.

    This year’s conference had 509 attendees from all the continents participating, notably the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, European Anti-Fraud Office, Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, International Document Police, International Trademark Association, the European Union, top multi-national companies, security and IP experts, jurists and the academia.

     

  • NAFDAC’s agro export drive

    Imagine Nigeria suffused with petro- and agro-dollars earned from export of sweet crude and agricultural products. The path to her much vaunted economic development would have been well paved and so her dream membership of the club of the world’s most developed economies would have become a reality.

    Her abundant fossil resources that could have propelled the uncommon development drive have become a curse, perhaps an unwarranted distraction. Agriculture that used to be the mainstay of the country from the immediate post independence era to early 1970s was relegated and ignored by successive governments. However, with the effects of mono-cultural economy ravaging the nation, instability of the global oil market becoming obvious and the developed countries’ drive for alternative to fossil fuel being stepped up, creative thinking by the nation’s political leadership and policy makers has recommended governance paradigm shift with emphasis on development of the agricultural potentials of the country, both for food security and as a complementary foreign exchange earner.

    The new agricultural development template established on private initiative is heavy on government support. Agricultural universities and research institutes have been established; agencies like National Agricultural and Land Development Authority (NALDA) and River Basin Development Authorities (RBDA) founded; actions on accelerated food production programmes, a national programme of Food for All and FADAMA project stepped up.

    The mobilization of peasant farmers has been underscored and recognized as the appropriate approach for realistic agrarian revolution in Nigeria. The extant food crisis emanates from the weak agricultural base despite the efforts of the aforementioned agencies and the financial provision of the Nigerian Agricultural and Co-operative Bank (NACB) for agricultural production within the country. The Federal Government has also put in place mechanisms for funding and insurance. They include the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme; the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company (NAIC), and Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS). The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in conjunction with the Bankers’ Committee has had to increase lending to the agricultural sector from one to five percent.

    By these measures, who would not be excited that a solid foundation for agricultural revolution in Nigeria has been laid? And why would Nigeria not reap bountifully from her massive agricultural potentials? The answer is that the optimization of the nation’s agro potentials was dampened by the placement of a one year embargo (July 2015 –June 2016) on some of its agricultural products by the European Food Safety Authority. The affected agro products included beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, meat, peanut chips and palm oil. While the melon seeds were said to have been contaminated with aflatoxin, others were said to contain high levels of injurious and deadly contaminants such as mycotoxins, pesticide residues as well as abnormal level of dichlorvos pesticides (in the case of beans).The development, which sent shock waves through both government and business circles, especially coming at a time of renewed drive to diversify the nation’s economy to wean it from oil dependency, has unarguably set the nation many years backward.

    The unscrupulous activities of some unpatriotic Nigerians, who involve themselves in agro trade without the relevant export certification for processed food are said to be the causative factors for this European Union’s move.

    The unsavory development has compelled the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to initiate professionalized strategies to tackle the ugly situation. Consequently, NAFDAC, has unfolded series of agro export redemption packages in an attempt to shore up Nigeria’s reputation and competitiveness in global non-oil export markets. Reeling out the scientific based solutions recently in Abuja, the Agency’s Director General Dr Paul B. Orhii, said the orchestrated ban on Nigeria’s agro products by the EU was bad news he has been challenged to redress.

    The Agency, Dr. Orhii said, would rely on ultra-modern cutting-edge technologies to address all the issues that gave vent to the EU ban to avoid further extension beyond the June 2016 timeline. Investigations show that NAFDAC will deploy massive mobile motorized testing laboratories to all nooks and crannies of the nation including remote farms, agro products export processing centres, produce market centres, sea and airports, as well as land border stations. The agency’s personnel are said to be set for this all important national assignment.

    Intensive training/supervision of farmers, produce marketers and other stakeholders in agro export business is also on the card. One of such enlightenment opportunities is the fourth edition of Agrikexpo, a foremost event for agribusiness development in West Africa, planned for November in Lagos. Interestingly, the EU-Nigeria Business Forum is a major stakeholder of the event. Other stakeholders are the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, NAFDAC, and Nigeria Agriculture Business Group (NABG), umbrella association for all agribusiness stakeholders in the country. There is also the monthly training programme on African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) organised by the Bank of Industry (BOI).

    The success of export trade depends seriously on consistent production of quality goods and services, which meet established quality and safety standards, through the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and hygienic practices. The NAFDAC has developed competencies on all of these areas. It has in place sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and possesses a very active website displaying its export guidelines. Serious minded agro exporters must comply with the rules of the game – meeting global standard specifications. They would be adequately provided with the required know-how on food storage, ideal packaging practices and other relevant quality control measures in which NAFDAC would be their ally.

    The step up action obviously requires adequate funding. A token sum of N2 billion is required by the agency. We know things are not easy now; this bailout for a serious agency like NAFDAC has high yielding dividends – our dream turnaround in the agriculture sector. The N2 billion is meant to aid the immediate importation, shipment, and deployment of these technological solutions into the country.

    Unarguably, Nigeria is sitting on untapped agro-dollars. Her full agri-business potentials have not been realized. The EU ban is a wakeup call. NAFDAC should be assisted to get the necessary technological solutions to the issues that necessitated the ban. These ultra-modern cutting-edge technological solutions, when acquired, will be deployed to all the nooks and crannies of the nation. Their effective deployment would propel the forces that would unleash Nigeria’s agro greatness. The agro-dollars so earned would be the seed money for our nation’s economic revolution.

    So, the Presidency, National Assembly, as well as the nation’s economic managers must rise to this historic call to rescue the nation from the self-inflicted doom by rallying round NAFDAC; approve the funds needed to actualize its well conceived and very patriotic initiative as it will be improper for us to go to sleep while our roofs are on fire.

    • Ikhilae, a Lagos-based public affairs analyst wrote via martinsikhilae@ymail.com
  • NBCC hails NAFDAC’s, SON’s plan to check double regulations

    NBCC hails NAFDAC’s, SON’s plan to check double regulations

    Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has hailed a plan by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to check double regulations through policy formulation.

    NBCC’s President Prince Dapo Adelegan, who said this at the chamber’s breakfast meeting in Lagos, noted that the plan was a welcome development for business owners and investors.

    He added that the implementation of the policy, when it becomes law, would put an end to issues of double regulations faced by operators.

    Adelegan warned on the potential impact of certain manufactured chemical on living organisms, particularly man and the natural environment, which could degenerate to air, land and sea pollution, global warming and climate change, as well as ozone depletion.

    Speaking on a topic, “NAFDAC Jurisdiction on Restricted Products in the Chemical Industry and Related Sectors in Nigeria,” the agency’s director-general, Dr. Paul Orhii, said it would come up with a policy to check overlapping functions with SON to end double regulations.

    He called on operators to supply the agency with relevant information that would assist in formulating the policy.

    Orhii said the agency was also working on harmonising its operations with members of  the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region to enhance trade.

    He stated that the agency was in an era when regulations of chemical and other products have become critical.

    He hinted that the agency had stepped up its monitoring operations, with its agents strategically positioned at different parts of the country, checking products in shops to ensure that manufacturers keep to standards.

    “We have situations where people bring their best products for test and produce substandard ones for the public. Now we are doing proper monitoring of products. We have our staff outside now who buy your products like other consumers and take them to laboratory for test to ensure they are up to standard,” Orhii stated.

    The Managing Director, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Pls, Mrs. Lara Elemide, emphasised the relevance of standard in enhancing brand reputation.

    NBCC, a chamber dedicated to fostering trade relations between Nigeria and Britain, will in November embark on a trade mission to UK for non-oil products to promote export and attract foreign investment into Nigeria.

  • NAFDAC intensifies war against fake drugs 

    NAFDAC intensifies war against fake drugs 

    As the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) increased the tempo on the war against fake and adulterated drugs in the country, it said the incidence had been reduced to 11% in the North East.

    This war, the agency said, would be intensified with the return of peace in the region.

    During an audience with a sub-committee set up by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maidugiri for the celebration of the institution’s  22nd convocation and 40th anniversary, the Director-General of the NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii,  yesterday in Abuja said:  ”Even in the North East where we thought that there were many security challenges, we have reduced it (incidence of fake drugs) just by 11 per cent.”

    Orhii also told the delegation that with encouragement from local pharmaceutical industries and the help of cutting edge technologies, the NAFDAC had been able to fight counterfeit medicines.

    “With this, we have been able to reduce the incidence of counterfeit medicines and antimalarial drugs from more than 64 per cent in 2008 to 20 per cent in 2012 and today we have achieved a feat that nobody thought was possible by reducing it to 3.6 per cent.”

    According to Orhii, the NAFDAC became the first regulatory agency in the world to use a TruScan that enables users to underscore and identify counterfeit medicines and also the first country in the world to implement the mobile authentication service.

    He regretted that with the sophistication in printing technology, it has become impossible even for the most sophisticated pharmaceutical security expert to identify counterfeit medicines just by looking at the drug.

    He told his visitors that with the efforts of people like them developing new molecules and turning new medicines, the NAFDAC we would completely eradicate fake medicines in Nigeria.

    Responding, the leader of the delegation and Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Maidugiri, Isa Hussain,  said:“We have identified the NAFDAC as a very important stakeholder in our institution and wish more collaboration.”

    In a related development, the NAFDAC boss  commended the review and production of the National Policy on Food Safety and its implementation strategy to help minimize the incidence of risk associated with physical, chemical and biological hazards in food and water in the country.

    He said this yesterday at the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja.

    He said: “With a National Safety Food Policy in place with a functional secretariat, Nigeria will be seen to have come on a par with other countries that had long ago streamlined and unified their food safety laws and subsequently benefited immensely from the implementation.

    “An effective, result-based programme implementation needs funding. The developed work plan has identified that line ministries, its department and agencies are required to provide budgets for food safety. We understand that the development partners have formed a committee to support the implementation of the activities of the policy to avoid duplication of activities funding.

    “I have not heard of food related poisoning in the country for the last three years. We believe that at the end of this donor meeting, all hands would be on deck to ensure that food safety system in Nigeria is on a par with the international best practices. I, therefore, encourage all stakeholders to draw up any available resources to support food safety.”

    In his welcome address, Acting Chairman (NFSMC), Mr. Fubara Chukwu, said millions of people had fallen victim of contaminated food.

    He said, “It is a wake-up call to all Nigerians to reflect on our general attitude to food safety, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation in our homes, neighbourhood, and public places and work towards ensuring improved hygienic and healthy environment.”

  • Trader arraigned for ‘fighting’ NAFDAC officials

    The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on Thursday arraigned a trader for allegedly obstructing National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) officials who went to Mile 12 Market for inspection.

    The prosecution said Biodun Ilesanmi prevented members of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods from ascertaining the genuineness of food products sold in the market.

    In the two count-charge, the accused, who owns Shops 28 and 29, was said to have committed the offence on September 3.

    The second count said Ilesanmi “did obstruct officers of NAFDAC in the course of their duties.”

    Prosecution counsel, Umar Shamaki, who signed the charge on the AGF’s behalf, said the alleged offence contravenes Section 2 (1)(a) and is punishable under 11 (2) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The offence also violates Section 25 of NAFDAC Act, Cap N1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The accused person pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Mohammed Yunusa adjourned to September 16 for hearing of Ilesanmi’s bail application.