By Habibu Harisu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday destroyed expired and fake drugs worth N50 million in Sokoto State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items were burnt at Kwannawa dump site near old Post Office in Dange-Shuni Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Adamu Garba, NAFDAC State Coordinator, said the exercise was part of routine efforts by the agency to sanitise the country of counterfeits, expired and other unregulated products from circulation.
Garba described fake, expired drugs and consumables as the gravest danger to human life.
“The products being destroyed today are made up of fake/counterfeit drugs, substandard and expired food products, cosmetics and regulated products seized by NAFDAC while some surrendered voluntarily by shop owners.
“This exercise is in public private partnership with drugs sellers, union members as about 80 per cent of destroyed products were voluntarily surrendered by them,’’ Garba said.
He explained that the quantum of products being destroyed was a pointer to the fact that the agency is working hard to ensure the safety of the health of Nigerians.
The state coordinator commended the stakeholders and security agents for their support and assured that the agency would continue to enforce sanctions where there were violations.
He noted that the agency had embarked on statewide awareness on activities of fake, expired products and urged vendors, producers and consumers to adhere to stipulated regulations.
Mr Emmanuel Andrew, Assistant Director, Head of Investigation and member of National Taskforce Team of NAFDAC, said the effort was to remove counterfeits, expired and unregistered products from circulation.
Andrew said that he was in Sokoto to supervise the activity of patent medicine vendors and pharmaceutical stores for cooperating with agency by submitting outlawed products.
He underscored the importance of collective efforts among stakeholders in the struggle to safeguard people’s health.
NAN reports that the exercise was attended by NAFDAC Governing Board member, Alhaji Tukur Sarkin Fada Tambuwal and Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, Director, Reaserch and Statistics, Sokoto State Ministry of Environment.
Others are Alhaji Nasiru Abdu from Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the representative of medicine vendors, Mr Ogbu Batholomew.
NAN
