The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has inaugurated the Rivers State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods as part of renewed efforts to curb the circulation of unsafe medicines and processed foods.
The task force brings together representatives of NAFDAC, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Police Force.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director, South-South Zone, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbo, urged Rivers State to take the lead in confronting the growing threat of counterfeit medicines and unsafe packaged foods, which she said endanger lives, undermine healthcare outcomes, distort markets and increase health costs and productivity losses.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer, South-South, Cyril Monye, Prof. Adeyeye said the mandate of the task force is to enforce standards, coordinate intelligence-driven surveillance, remove illegal products from circulation and support legitimate manufacturers and traders by ensuring compliant businesses are not undermined by counterfeiters and illegal operators.
According to her, the task force will carry out coordinated market inspections, conduct rapid testing where necessary and ensure transparent reporting to the Chairman of the Federal Task Force, while providing citizens access to hotlines, community forums and online channels to report suspicious products.
In a keynote address delivered virtually from Lagos, the Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods and Director of Enforcement and Investigation at NAFDAC, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, said the task force derives its legal backing from an Act of the National Assembly and supersedes any similar task force constituted by a state.
He outlined its powers to include seizing any drug or poison displayed for sale in premises not duly licensed and, where there is reasonable suspicion, breaking into facilities to confiscate counterfeit, fake, banned or forged products and sealing such premises if necessary.
The NAFDAC State Coordinator in Rivers State, Emmanuel Onogwu, said the task force will support compliance with national regulations, deter and disrupt illicit trade, protect consumers and promote accountability across the supply chain.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Chidinma Adaeze Oreh, represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Halliday Charles, condemned the menace of counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods, noting that they pose serious threats to public health, patient safety and the integrity of the health system.
“These illegal activities undermine genuine healthcare providers, endanger lives and erode public confidence in health services. As a government, we cannot and will not turn a blind eye to such threats,” she said.
The inauguration climaxed with the administration of the oath of office to members of the Rivers State Task Force by Jumbo Washington of the NAFDAC Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, Asaba.
