ABUJA The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its campaign against the entry of substandard and fake medications into Nigeria by recently appointing Cotecna Inspection Services (CIS), an international testing and inspection company, to strengthen its Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) program in India.
This action follows closely after NAFDAC’s historic confiscation, removal, and disposal of more than ₦1 trillion worth of inferior and outdated medications from key wholesale drug markets in Idumota, Onitsha, and Aba. It forms part of the organization’s extensive overhaul designed to crack down on dishonest importers and producers, notably those originating from China and India.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, revealed this information during a hybrid Technical Stakeholders' Meeting conducted in Lagos. Attendees included individuals from various sectoral groups, customs brokers, NAFDAC staff members, as well as representatives from CRIA based in China and India.
Professor Adeyeye expressed concern over the worldwide issue of counterfeit and inferior drugs, characterizing this illicit activity as a highly profitable form of crime, particularly prevalent in lower- and middle-income nations such as Nigeria. She highlighted outcomes including ineffective treatments, increased antibiotic resistance, and fatalities, which drive NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts towards implementing stricter regulations.
"The existence of substandard and falsified medicines erodes public confidence in healthcare systems, deteriorates health outcomes, and promotes the engagement of organized criminal networks which view pharmaceutical counterfeiting as a lower-risk activity compared to drug trafficking," she stated.
The CRIA program, presently active in India and China, serves as NAFDAC's primary effort against counterfeits with the objective of guaranteeing that solely goods meeting safety, quality, and regulatory criteria can be imported into Nigeria. After conducting an extensive evaluation following his appointment, Professor Adeyeye revamped the program, resulting in the dismissal of one agent, extension contracts for two others, and the introduction of fresh CRIA collaborators.
Following the recent addition of Cotecna Inspection Services (CIS), the number of CRIA agents has increased to five in India and four in China.
CRIA Agents in India include Assurance Analytics Pvt. Ltd.; Cotecna Inspection Services; QCS Labs LLP; Quntrol Labs Pvt. Ltd.; and Silis Labs Pvt. Ltd.
CRIA Representatives in China: China Standards Technical Services Ltd (CSTS), Guangzhou Test Technology Consulting Company Limited, NHU Labs, and Shanghai Hanlin Laboratory Ltd
CRIA agents are tasked with conducting physical inspections, performing random product sampling, verifying regulatory documents, and carrying out laboratory tests exclusively at NAFDAC-approved facilities.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized, "All NAFDAC-regulated products necessitate CRIA processing unless explicitly exempted." He further encouraged exporters and importers to collaborate solely with authorized agents and follow all established protocols meticulously.
She revealed that NAFDAC has implemented the Ports Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS) to digitize verification of inspection reports and enhance transparency.
During the meeting, Mrs. Lena Sodergren, who serves as the Vice President of Verification of Conformity and leads operations in Africa at Cotecna, praised NAFDAC’s CRIA initiative. She referred to it as "the most extensive regulatory framework for food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics across Africa and further regions."
"Our partnership with NAFDAC underscores our joint dedication to maintaining high standards of product quality and streamlining global commerce. What sets this initiative apart is its focus on traceability and its capability to remove counterfeit documents, non-conforming cargo, and banned items," she explained further.
Dr. Olakunle Olaniran, who leads the Ports Inspection Directorate (PID), disclosed that around 200 shipments of counterfeit or inferior goods have been stopped under the CRIA initiative during the last half-decade.
This encompasses shipments featuring tampered documentation, unsuccessful laboratory examinations, modified label information, or those trying to bypass CRIA scrutiny entirely.
"In every one of these instances, suitable penalties have been imposed. We will keep enhancing our oversight through collaboration with international authorities and regulatory bodies," stated Olaniran.
Professor Adeyeye suggested an upcoming partnership with the Indian government aimed at preventing drugs refused at their source from being smuggled illicitly into Nigeria.
"We aim to monitor the fate of medications that were denied approval in India. It is crucial to have accountability, and we are striving to stop unprincipled individuals from diverting these shipments into Nigeria via an informal route," she cautioned.
She reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to protecting public health and appealed to all parties involved to back the CRIA initiative in guaranteeing that only top-notch, secure, and efficient goods reach Nigeria’s controlled marketplaces.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).