The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ramped up efforts to combat drug counterfeiting by deploying advanced technology to track pharmaceutical products.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Post-Market Surveillance, Pharm. Bitrus Fraden, disclosed this during a sensitization event on the Green Book Traceability Project and Pediatric Policy in Kano.
She highlighted the growing sophistication of counterfeiters, stressing the need for innovative strategies to tackle the menace.
“The fight against falsified and substandard drugs is an ongoing battle that requires collective action beyond the regulator’s mandate,” Adeyeye stated.
A 2015 study estimated that over 122,000 children under the age of five die annually in sub-Saharan Africa due to substandard anti-malarial drugs, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
The NAFDAC boss further revealed that fraudulent importers have been falsifying NAFDAC registration numbers to distribute counterfeit products. However, the newly enacted NAFDAC Regulations 2024 introduce a legal framework ensuring all pharmaceutical products—whether manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, sold, or distributed in Nigeria—are assigned a unique identifier.
This tracking system, created by brand owners, will enhance supply chain visibility and help curb the circulation of fake drugs in the country.
