● To intensify control of importation of narcotics, hazardous chemical substances
Prof. Moji Adeyeye
NAFDAC DG
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), today announced plans to return to the nation’s ports as part of its mandate and efforts to intensify the control of importation of sensitive chemical substances, food, drugs and other regulated products.
The agency, in a press statement, said it was returning to the ports in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and with the active support of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), “to effectively control the importation of narcotic drugs and hazardous chemical substances that have been identified to be grossly abused and consequently, posing public health and security threats to the Nation.”
The statement further reads: “The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye, wishes to assure Nigerians that the return of NAFDAC officials to the Ports and borders as recommended in the Communique issued at the end of the National Chemical Security Training Conference in Abuja on 16th March 2018, held under the auspices of the ONSA with the theme ‘Towards a Secured Importation, Distribution, Storage and Use of Chemicals in Nigeria’ will once again, restore NAFDAC’s key responsibility of monitoring imports of controlled drugs and chemical substances which come in various forms, thus requiring expertise to monitor their industry-wide application and use.
“NAFDAC wishes to commend the Office of the NSA, the Chemical Society of Nigeria and other key stakeholders for recognizing NAFDAC as a key player in the national security architecture by this singular act of restoring the presence of NAFDAC officials at all designated Ports of entry and land borders. The laws that set up NAFDAC empower the agency to statutorily operate at the ports.
“The clearance of regulated products outside of the current legal framework poses immediate and life threatening risks to the public as unregistered, spurious and falsified products exit the ports without recourse to the agency’s approval for such products to be in the market.”
The agency assured the public it will continue to contribute its quota to Government’s efforts in securing lives and property by ensuring that only quality, safe, efficacious and wholesome regulated products are consumed by Nigerians adding that it will continue to ckeck the smuggling of chemical weapons, harmful drugs and substances into the country.