NAFDAC Laments Substandard Drugs Killing Patients Slowly

Ayodeji Ake

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has lamented that low quality medicines are killing patients slowly, and therefore advocated for global quality standard medicines to be produced locally in Nigeria.

This statement was made by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, at the ongoing three-day (from July 29 to 31, 2024), Second Region Workshop on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) with theme: ‘Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain’.

Adeyeye said the workshop is about engaging stakeholders across all levels, laying solid foundation for quality drugs production locally.

She said: “The aims and objectives of this workshop are ‘preparation ahead of manufacturing’. If we don’t understand what we are working with, as a matter of time, it will fail. We are building quality from the beginning which is incapacitation the regulators, manufacturers and future workforce. It is about getting ready mentally and intellectually before we start manufacturing.

“We can’t do it alone which is why we are engaging our partners and also with the support of resource people from other counties to join us to ensure that we are building this on solid foundation.”

On the part of the legislators, Vice Chairman House Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, stated that the House of Representatives would work closely with the executive to ensure that laws that will make the environment business-friendly will be enacted.

According to him, “I want to appreciate the DG NAFDAC for organising this workshop in order to have a better landscape in our country. As legislators, we will ensure we enact laws that we make things easier for manufacturers in Nigeria. We will ensure that that laws and order by the executives are of help so that we can translate into better productivity and efficiency in the manufacturing of drugs and foods. We are also particular about making the environment easier for business to flourish The Representative of World Health Organisation (WHO) in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, commended the efforts of NAFDAC, saying the development will reduce importation of API from abroad.

“This workshop is very important to train key stakeholders in the areas of manufacturing. We are here to ensure that all the measures and standards are in place before production commence. Nigeria like every other African countries depend on API coming from abroad. We are at the stage where we rethink how we handle production for our continent and developing nation,” he said.

The representative of the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Mrs. Ngozi Osuji, noted that the development would reduce overhead costs and improve production locally.

“This is the way to go. We import every APIs that we use to manufacture medicines in Nigeria. When you import, its increases overhead which makes it very expensive for people to procure. This is a good development and we are preparing for it,” she said.