New NAFDAC DG Resumes, TalksTough on Fight against Fake Drugs
The new Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has officially resumed duties with a commitment to lead the agency toward eliminating substandard foods and drugs in the country.
Adeyeye who disclosed this in Abuja at the agency’s corporate headquarters recently while addressing staff on her resumption of duty, said although NAFDAC has over the years, made steady progress in protecting the health of the nation, the agency under her administration will continue to ensure the health of all Nigerians and foreigners residing in Nigeria are not jeopardised by the use of substandard or counterfeit regulated products.
She expressed concerns that while majority of Nigerians have reservations over safety of drugs, food, medical devices and water, little do they know that chemicals can also kill people easily, which is why she has come to ensure that NAFDAC lives up to her responsibility of eliminating falsified and unsafe drugs, medical devices, foods and water in Nigeria.
“The concerns of our people are mainly about safety of our drugs, food, medical devices and water. Most people, including those who manufacture fake drugs and sell bad foods or water, do not plan to kill people, but may not fully understand that chemicals (be they in drugs or food, or through bio-contamination) can kill hundreds of people easily.”
The NAFDAC DG expressed appreciation to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); World Health Organisation (WHO); Nigeria Academic Pharmacists as well as other partners for their efforts and support of NAFDAC in the assurance of quality food, medicines and medical devices for all Nigerians.
She equally thanked the National Assembly for their efforts so far towards passing the Fake and Counterfeit Drug Act, saying the attainment of the mission and vision of NAFDAC is a collective responsibility of all and her role as a Director General is to provide the needed leadership, direction and motivation to all staff for the realisation of the goals of the agency.
In his remark, immediate past Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuri, expressed delight that the agency has yet another professor per excellence to take over the baton of leadership in NAFDAC, saying it is a new dawn all hands must be on deck to take the agency to a lofty height where it can remain a reference point in the comity of regulatory agencies in the country.