The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned stakeholders across various sectors to comply strictly with its regulatory provisions or face legal consequences.
The South-East Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Dr. Festus Ukadike, issued the warning at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation programme held in Owerri.
The sensitisation brought together representatives of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicines (NAPPMED), Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Association of Supermarket Operators, National Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP), Agro Input Dealers, Commonwealth Herbal Medicine Practitioners, Imo State Modern Herbal Medicine Practitioners, Master Bakers Association, Chicken Republic, among others.
Ukadike said NAFDAC remained resolute in ensuring full compliance with its regulations to safeguard public health.
According to him, “NAFDAC has the mandate to ensure that all regulatory products meet the standards of quality, safety and efficacy. Our shared mandate is to do everything within our powers to protect public health. Ours is that of a regulator — to make sure you comply with all the guidelines made available to you in the discharge of your responsibilities.”
He urged stakeholders to ensure adherence to good hygiene and manufacturing practices, maintain valid registration licences, and keep their personnel, procedures and equipment aligned with relevant guidelines.
The zonal director stressed the importance of proper storage and distribution practices, as well as the need for evidence-based clinical claims, warning that the idea of a single drug curing hypertension, diabetes, asthma or multiple ailments “is alien to science.”
He further advised stakeholders to “watch out for those who refuse to comply with NAFDAC regulations and report to us for necessary action. As much as possible, always insist that people who supply you — even up to chin-chin or fried plantain — have NAFDAC registration numbers. Once a product is packaged, labelled and made available for public use, it must be registered.”
Ukadike expressed confidence that the sensitisation would improve the level of compliance across the sector, but warned that the agency would intensify enforcement and arrest those involved in the production or sale of unsafe or unregistered products.
Earlier, the Imo State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Mrs. Helen Okanya, said the meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration with sectoral groups in tackling substandard medical products, potable water issues, and poor hygiene practices.
“NAFDAC continues to seek collaboration with various stakeholders to tackle substandard medical products and potable water and to ensure good storage and hygienic practices are adhered to,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the engagement would boost product registration, enhance information sharing for regulatory action against falsified products, and strengthen monitoring of the supply chain.
Reacting, a pharmacist, Dr. Okey Unogu, commended NAFDAC for creating a platform to address challenges faced by the various groups.
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