The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has declared that the agency will not bow to pressure in its ongoing campaign against banned, counterfeit, unregistered, and harmful drugs across Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, Adeyeye addressed allegations that the agency had extorted traders by compelling them to pay ₦700,000 for a service they allegedly did not understand. She described the claims as false and insisted that all actions taken by NAFDAC followed due process and were in line with federal regulations.
According to her, NAFDAC’s recent enforcement operations in major drug markets in Idumota (Lagos), Aba (Abia State), and Onitsha (Anambra State) resulted in the evacuation of harmful and banned drugs valued at over ₦1 trillion. She noted that the operations were aimed at protecting public health.
“The charges imposed on the traders are investigative charges, not fines. They were reduced significantly after wide consultations — from ₦5 million to ₦200,000 for sales of unregistered drugs, and from ₦2 million to ₦500,000 for violations related to drug storage,” she explained.
Adeyeye further disclosed that more than 2,500 traders operating out of 3,500 shops in the Ogbogwu drug market in Onitsha have resumed normal activities after complying with NAFDAC’s directives, paying the necessary charges, and removing offending products from their shops.
She stressed that NAFDAC would not allow illegal reopening of shops or be swayed by propaganda from individuals or groups involved in the distribution of banned substances.
“These charges are gazetted by the Federal Government. We will not turn a blind eye to acts that have contributed to the deaths of thousands of innocent Nigerians, including children and women, due to fake and substandard medicines,” she asserted.
The NAFDAC boss urged the public not to politicise the agency’s regulatory activities, insisting that those peddling misinformation are traders unwilling to comply with Nigeria’s drug safety laws.
She concluded by reaffirming NAFDAC’s commitment to operating within its legal mandate to protect the health of the nation.
“We will continue to act decisively in the best interest of public health,” Adeyeye said.
