Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
In a concerted effort to tackle the growing problem of fake and substandard drugs, the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) organised a one-day sensitization workshop for health sector stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Addressing attendees, Mr. Chukwuma Oligbu, the South South Director of NAFDAC, warned that the prevalence of counterfeit medications poses a significant threat to public health. He specifically identified anti-malaria, anti-bacterial, antihypertensive, and anti-diabetes drugs as the most commonly affected categories.
Oligbu outlined the serious public health implications of fake drugs, including extended hospital stays, increased admissions, drug resistance, treatment failures, and even fatalities.
To combat this issue, NAFDAC has implemented several measures, such as Requiring pre-shipment information from drug importers before their consignments arrive at ports; Collaborating with Nigerian banks to mandate NAFDAC clearance for drug importers before processing financial documents; Conducting post-market surveillance to remove counterfeit drugs from circulation, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) standards; Issuing guidelines for airlines transporting medications into the country.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness among participants about the urgent need to join forces against the proliferation of fake and substandard drugs. Oligbu reiterated NAFDAC’s “zero tolerance” policy on this issue and called for widespread community support.
“We cannot do this alone; we need your help,” he urged, stressing the importance of public cooperation in identifying and reporting offenders.
The Zonal Director concluded by emphasising the ongoing nature of this fight, stating, “This is not a one-off battle; it requires continuous and persistent effort.”
Representatives from the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Medical Association, and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria delivered goodwill messages, further underscoring the collective commitment to eradicating this public health menace.