Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit and substandard medicines, expired food products and chemicals valued at N2.6bn in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of efforts to protect public health and prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers.
The seized items, which included medicines, tomatoes, cookies and chemicals, were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Onne Port between 2025 and 2026.
The Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in Nigeria, Dr Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this on Friday at the destruction site in Port Harcourt. He spoke on behalf of NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
Iluyomade, who is also the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, said the exercise demonstrated NAFDAC’s commitment to eliminating fake drugs and unwholesome food products from the Nigerian market.
He credited the successful operation to cooperation between NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service, noting that the process began in 2025 and was facilitated by memoranda of understanding signed by both agencies.
“This gesture corroborates the existing good relationship we have between NAFDAC and Nigeria Customs Service. We have an MoU signed, but we have people who have to work behind the scenes to make sure that the MoU works.
“The willingness of the officers of the two agencies to make the MoU work is what has led to what we are doing today,” he said.
The NAFDAC official acknowledged that the process had encountered challenges but praised personnel from both agencies for their commitment to ensuring the seized products were destroyed.
“On this note, I want to thank the Comptroller-General of Customs, who made it a point of duty for us to come together, personally, to come and hand over this container,” he said.
Iluyomade described Friday’s exercise as the first phase of the destruction, disclosing that additional containers of seized products were expected from the port.
“What you see here right now, this is the flag-up, others are still coming out of the port, and I want to urge the Nigerian Customs Service to quickly facilitate the remaining containers to be here on time for destruction,” he added.
He assured Nigerians that NAFDAC would continue enforcing regulations to ensure that safe food and effective medicines were available to consumers.
“For all Nigerians, our work is to safeguard the health of the nation, and we will not relent on our task to make sure that this assignment of keeping all Nigerians safe, eat good food, take the right medicines that work is not delayed.
“In fact, we are more vigorous to make sure we deliver on this assignment to all the members of the Nigerian populace,” he said.
The task force chairman also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies involved in combating counterfeit medicines and other illicit products, warning that the scale of the challenge required a collective effort rather than institutional rivalry.
He urged members of the public to report suspected fake drugs and substandard food products through NAFDAC’s designated reporting channels to enable prompt investigation and action.
Representing the Enforcement Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Area II Command, Superintendent of Customs Elizabeth Abosede commended NAFDAC for the exercise and highlighted the dangers counterfeit medicines pose to public health.
Earlier, the South-South Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Oligbu Chukwuma, represented by his deputy, Mrs Rita Chukwuma, said the destruction was part of the agency’s regulatory responsibilities.
She explained that the products included items seized by NAFDAC and others voluntarily surrendered by organisations, adding that removing fake and substandard goods from circulation was essential to protecting communities from their harmful effects.
