USAID-Aided drugs flooded Nigeria market as NAFDAC confirms seizure of substandard and expired medicines
On Wednesday, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed seizure of trucks loaded with expired, banned and substandard drugs, including USAID and UNFPA-aided antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms, amongst others.
Director-General of NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this disclosure adding that counterfeiters were on her heels and those of her staff.
Professor Adeyeye, who briefed the State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, stated that: “I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he was doing his job. Fortunately, the child escaped.
“For me, I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life.
“I can’t go anywhere without police escorts. That’s not my way of living, but I don’t have a choice because we must save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”
The drug agency is presently on a nationwide mission to abate the circulation of illegal drug business, which has seen it raid three Nigeria’s major open drug markets of Ariaria and Eziukwu in Aba (Abia State), Bridge Head Market in Onitsha (Anambra State) and Idumota Drug Market (Lagos State).
USAID-Aided Drugs Flooded Nigeria Market
The anti-drug campaign is condiment of NAFDAC’s National Plan 2.0 (2023-2027) to eradicate fake or counterfeit medicines, improve regulatory compliance and protecting and safeguarding public health.
She noted that the move had unearthed shocking abuse of drugs storage and distribution regulations, including diverted medical aid, large amount of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms used to aid Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS reaction were discovered expired and recycled for resale.
The life-saving medications, she stressed, were either improperly housed or voluntarily resold for profit to undermine global efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
Admittedly, while the originality and licitly of some of the medicinal products were not questioned, the storage vicinity was not conducive and could render the drugs unfit to consume, she narrated.
“Some of the products (seized) are large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female, and male condoms by USAID, UNFPA.
“Large quantities of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, prescription-only medicines, etc. These products were discovered stacked in toilets, under the staircase, and on the rooftop at very high temperatures without consideration for cold chain storage requirements.
“Oxytocin injection and several thermolabile products stored under extremely hot temperatures, enough to denature any genuine pharmaceuticals.
USAID-Aided Drugs Flooded Nigeria Market
“The problem is not only about the originality of the products but about the environment and storage.
Products recommended to be stored at -8°C, -2°C to 8°C were found in this environment,” she noted.
Among goods that were recovered were large quantities of illicit drugs like TAFRADOL (recently banned in India following BBC’s investigated exposure of the manufacturer, exporting numerous illegal drugs to African countries), Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam and Diazepam.
“The volume of narcotics and controlled substances seized from each of these locations is enough to destabilize the country security-wise,” she added, saying the agency also found vast quantities of banned, unregistered, expired products in the plumbing and wood plank sections of the Head Bridge.
“Warehouses filled to the brim with such drugs listed above, without windows, and where the temperature could be as high as 40°C, a high potential for chemical degradation of the products into less effective and toxic degradants,” the NAFDAC DG explained.
Adeyeye, who also named the operation as the agency’s most significant operation in since the establishment, put the value of drugs the confiscated drugs at N1tn, noting that post-assessment figure could be much higher.
“It is N1tn. It may be an underestimation for now, but when we finish the operation, we will have a good idea,” she clarified.
Starting on 9th February, 2025, 1,100 security personnel were involved, including the Nigerian Army, The Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services agents.
In her statement, the security agencies ransacked the markets to impede the traders from hiding or illegally smuggling illicit drugs. Thus far, forty arrests have been recorded, with arrested persons are to face full wrath of law.
USAID-Aided Drugs Flooded Nigeria Market
“During this exercise, NAFDAC succeeded in removing from circulation 87 truckloads of banned, expired, unregistered, suspected falsified and substandard medical products from the three markets removed from over 7,000 shops screened as of today, February 26, 2025.
“A database of these shops and the offences committed has been created for further steps. More than 40 arrests have been made, which will be followed by prosecution,” Adeyeye said.
She disclosed in furtherance, saying: “The screening of shops ended on Tuesday, February 25, in Idumota and Aba as shops with non-violative or non-NAFDAC regulated products are being reopened.
Owners of such shops are being asked to sign undertakings agreeing to relocate to the designated Coordinated Wholesale Centre on completion.
“Meanwhile, the operation continues in Onitsha Head Bridge until next week, when a similar process of opening the shops to non-violative shop owners and charging the violative ones accordingly will commence.
“After the operation, NAFDAC and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria plan the relocation of these markets within the next one year to the scheduled Coordinated Wholesale Centres. There will be six such CWCs across the country, representing one per geopolitical zone.”
The anti-drug boss noted that her efforts had placed her and her team members in the roll of assassins’ fire.
In conclusion, she tasked the security agencies to provide protection for her and her team amidst precarious move to curb the activities of illicit drug pushers and also proposed death penalty for those producing and selling illicit and fake drugs in the country.
USAID-Aided Drugs Flooded Nigeria Market
