NEPZA, NAFDAC Deepen Collaboration to Protect Nigerians From Fake Drugs
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NEPZA, NAFDAC Deepen Collaboration to Protect Nigerians From Fake Drugs
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC have agreed to strengthen joint regulatory oversight of pharmaceutical products and consumables manufactured within the country’s free trade zones.
The resolution was reached during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to the Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, at the NEPZA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adeyeye said the visit was aimed at deepening collaboration between both agencies to improve regulation of pharmaceuticals, food products and cosmetics produced or distributed within the free trade zones.
“I wish to, on behalf of my team of directors, express our appreciation to you, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, the Managing Director/CEO of NEPZA, and your team for this kind gesture in welcoming us,” she said.
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The NAFDAC boss stressed the need for both agencies to work together to prevent fake drugs and substandard consumables from infiltrating Nigerian markets.
“We must view this meeting as a responsibility we have to the country to protect citizens from fake drugs and consumables that are infiltrating our markets from known and unknown destinations,” Adeyeye said.
She added that NAFDAC remained committed to ensuring compliance with approved standards in the regulation of pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic products.
“NAFDAC has always insisted on conducting appropriate tests and ensuring compliance with the standard specifications designated and approved by the Council to effectively control the quality of regulated products across the relevant industries in Nigeria,” she stated.
Adeyeye also noted the importance of the free trade zone scheme to Nigeria’s industrialisation drive, stressing that stronger monitoring mechanisms were needed to ensure the safety and efficacy of products exported into the customs territory from the zones.
“NEPZA and NAFDAC can fix this misalignment by jointly insisting on compliance. We can close this gap through excellent facility management and improved inspection across the production lines,” she added.
Responding, Ogunyemi expressed support for the partnership, saying the collaboration would help address alleged irregularities associated with the production and distribution of medical supplies and consumables within the zones.
According to him, the free trade zone scheme, which comprises 63 zones and over 900 enterprises, remains critical to Nigeria’s economic growth despite regulatory challenges.
“We need a joint effort to address some of the irregularities. We will allow NAFDAC to perform its regulatory functions because the public’s health depends on it,” Ogunyemi said.
The NEPZA boss added that the authority had consistently resisted attempts to use the zones as channels for illicit activities.
“We fully endorse this partnership and collaboration, which has the potential to enhance the scheme’s global compliance across all production and export activities for the benefit of the country,” he said.
The meeting also featured the inauguration of an eight-member technical committee tasked with examining factors hindering the seamless application of the agencies’ regulatory functions within the free trade zones.
