NAFDAC, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, has revealed that approximately half of the pharmaceutical products imported into Nigeria are counterfeit. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, disclosed this information during a recent gathering of stakeholders in Abuja. She emphasized that the Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP), which should adhere to WHO guidelines, is meant to certify the quality and legitimacy of pharmaceutical products and their exporters. However, despite efforts to ensure quality, Adeyeye expressed dismay over the prevalence of fake CPPs in Nigeria, underscoring the threat they pose to access to safe and affordable medicines, thereby jeopardizing efforts towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Adeyeye highlighted that the majority of medicines imported into Nigeria originate from South East Asia, but many fail to meet quality standards despite pre-shipment testing and CPP assurances. She noted that over 50 percent of CPPs entering Nigeria are discovered to be counterfeit. Adeyeye attributed this issue partly to individuals traveling to countries like China and India for procurement. NAFDAC has pledged to address this challenge by adopting stringent measures and swift action against suspect companies.
Expressing concern over the prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in Africa, Adeyeye emphasized the need for stronger regulatory processes, as only a small fraction of national regulatory agencies have attained maturity level three. She stressed NAFDAC’s commitment to reducing the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines, whether locally manufactured or imported, through preventive, detective, and responsive measures.
