NAFDAC Destroys ₦20bn Worth of Counterfeit, Substandard Products

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard products valued at ₦20 billion in a major zonal exercise conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The destruction, carried out during the South-West Zonal Destruction Flag-off Ceremony at the Moniya Dumpsite, is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to safeguard public health by eliminating unsafe, falsified, and violative products from circulation.

According to NAFDAC, the items destroyed included falsified and substandard medicines, unsafe processed foods, counterfeit cosmetics, and various expired products seized from manufacturers, importers, and distributors across the South-West region. The exercise also covered expired or damaged goods voluntarily submitted by compliant companies, NGOs, and trade groups.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, praised the strong collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, highlighting the recent handover of 25 containers of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals, including a reefer container, for destruction.

She also commended the support of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Adeyeye reaffirmed that the agency’s sustained partnerships with security and regulatory bodies remain critical in Nigeria’s fight against counterfeiters.

NAFDAC said it will continue to intensify surveillance, enforcement, and public awareness to ensure that unsafe and illegal products are permanently kept off the market.