Nigeria: NAFDAC Destroys Fake and Substandard Drugs Worth Over N939 Million in Anambra

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake and unwholesome drugs valued at over N939 million in Awka, Anambra State, as part of its ongoing crackdown on counterfeit and substandard products.

The destruction exercise took place on Friday at the Anambra State Waste Management dumpsite in Awka under the supervision of NAFDAC officials. The agency said the operation forms part of its regulatory efforts to eliminate unsafe, expired, and falsified products from circulation.

According to NAFDAC, the seized items were recovered from across the South-East region and posed serious health risks to consumers, including treatment failure, prolonged illness, and potential loss of life.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Regional Director Martins Iluyomade, disclosed that the destroyed products had an estimated street value of N939,077,209.

“Today, we are destroying products with a total estimated street value of N939,077,209. These products have been seized through NAFDAC’s routine surveillance, enforcement operations, and intelligence-led interventions across the South-East,” Iluyomade said.

He also reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy toward counterfeit and substandard products, warning individuals and organizations involved in the distribution of unsafe products.

“Let me state unequivocally that NAFDAC will not tolerate any individual or group that endangers the lives of Nigerians through the manufacture, importation, distribution, or sale of fake, substandard, or expired regulated products,” he added.

The destroyed items included expired and falsified medicines, unregistered pharmaceutical products, food items, cosmetics, and medical equipment. NAFDAC noted that some of the seized products were voluntarily handed over by stakeholders, including members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Anambra and Enugu States.

The agency warned that unwholesome food products could expose consumers to food-borne diseases and long-term health complications, while unsafe medical devices could compromise diagnosis and treatment.

NAFDAC advised consumers to purchase only products with valid registration numbers and report suspicious items or activities.

The destruction exercise is part of a broader nationwide enforcement effort. In recent operations, NAFDAC identified the Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State, as a hub for counterfeit products, destroyed fake medicines worth about N100 billion at the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos, and confiscated over 10 million doses of fake malaria drugs valued at approximately N3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.

Additional seizures included counterfeit malaria drugs valued at over N1.2 billion intercepted in Lagos, pharmaceutical products worth more than N9.23 billion handed over by the Nigeria Customs Service, and 16 containers of fake and banned products valued at about N20.5 billion seized in Port Harcourt.

NAFDAC also destroyed expired and substandard medical products worth over N15 billion in Ibadan, underscoring the scale of the agency’s nationwide efforts to curb the circulation of harmful products and protect public health.