By Stella Kabruk
#TrackNigeria: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), on
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director General, said the new office would ensure that regulated products imported into or exported out of Nigeria, meet requisite standards of safety and right quality.
She explained that the new office would regulate and control quality standards for foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and chemicals coming in through the dry port.
Adeyeye noted that thousands of Nigerians have died as a result of falsified and substandard medicines.
She added that many others have fallen sick due to consumption of unwholesome foods, drugs and abuse of narcotics and controlled substances such as codeine, Tramadol, Pentazocine among others.
The director general assured that NAFDAC would not compromise on its mandate of “protecting the citizens, especially children from drugs that will kill them on the long run.”
She stressed that the return of NAFDAC to the ports followed a strong recommendation by the National Security Adviser.
“Aside from the dangers posed to public health, involvement of our youths in abuse of drugs, weakens our national development, economy and nation building.
“This is as a result of accompanied side effects of abuse, such as disruption of life goals, ideals and families.
“Our agency will work with the Nigerian Customs Service, the Shippers Council and other sister agencies, regularly.
“We will ensure that foods, drugs, chemicals and other NAFDAC regulated products that pose danger to our population, are controlled at the point of entry,” she said.
Adeyeye added that the presence of NAFDAC at ports and borders would significantly reduce the evasion of payments of statutory fees for imported regulated products.
Also speaking, Executive Director, Inland Containers, Mr Chuka Offor, said the Kaduna inland dry port has commenced full operation, serving shippers and customers in the region.
Offor appreciated NAFDAC for opening an office in the port, stating that challenges with shipments that require NAFDAC clearance would now be addressed at the dry port.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Kaduna Dry Port was inaugurated for business by President Muhammad Buhari on Jan. 4, 2018. (NAN)
