NAFDAC destroys fake products worth N8bn

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed fake and harmful products worth approximately Eight Billion Naira in the North Central Zone. This destruction took place on Thursday during the NAFDAC's regulated product destruction event in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, stated that the majority of the confiscated items were small bottles of banned alcoholic beverages.

Professor Adeyeye explained that these low-volume alcohol products were a significant concern due to their popularity among Nigerians, particularly youths and underage school children. Research showed that such products were frequently abused, leading to addiction, adverse effects on vital organs like the brain, liver, and kidneys, and resulting in poor academic performance and various illnesses.

The Agency had banned the production, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages in small pack sizes to combat these issues. Besides the alcohol, NAFDAC also destroyed expired, counterfeit, and unwholesome food, drugs, and cosmetics during routine operations. The Director-General emphasized the Agency's duty to safeguard public health by permitting only high-quality, safe, and effective products to be manufactured, imported, distributed, advertised, or used in Nigeria.

NAFDAC achieves this mandate through inspections, investigations, enforcement, product registration, and laboratory analysis. The Director-General expressed gratitude to other law enforcement agencies, sister agencies, associations, and stakeholders for their ongoing collaboration, especially in intelligence sharing and security during operations.