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NAFDAC seals Chinese supermarket in Abuja, were goods are labelled in foreign language

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•••begins investigation on how they got into the country.

By Agency Report.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Monday, sealed a Chinese supermarket for allegedly selling goods labelled in Chinese language without its proper notification.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the supermarket is situated at Azba Mall, 2 Durban Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Speaking with journalists after the exercise, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Shaba Mohammed, said the agency got ‘credible information’ about the supermarket.
Mr Mohammed, who is also the Chairperson, Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods with the agency, said items being sold at the supermarket were labelled in Chinese language, thereby violating NAFDAC’s regulations.

He said the agency would investigate why over 90 per cent of the goods in the supermarket were labelled in a foreign language and how they got into the country.

He also said some of the affected goods had expired and that they were still on the supermarket’s shelves.

“The supermarket was sealed for violating NAFDAC regulations; investigation will surely go on about this supermarket; we will also need to go to its warehouse in order to stop them from selling some products,” he said.
“The whole information about this supermarket just got to us; if we had known the information from the beginning, we would have taken regulatory action we just took against it now.”

Mr Mohammed added that selling items in foreign languages is a violation of the law.
“More than 90 per cent of the goods sold in the supermarket are in Chinese language. You might find some Nigerians patronising the supermarket; they should be able to read about some of the items on the shelves,” he said.
“Some of these items have also expired. Even if they are given a global listing to import, they ought to be in the English language. This supermarket cannot present to NAFDAC a document through which the items were approved in foreign language.”

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He said the owner of the supermarket will be invited for further investigation before the agency concludes the case.

The director said if the supermarket is found culpable of violating NAFDAC’s regulations, punishable action would be taken against it.
“It is not every case we charge to court; we will take regulatory action against the supermarket, which may be an administrative action.”

Mr Mohammed added that the supermarket might have bypassed the agency in the process of bringing some goods into the country.
“NAFDAC will not see all these items at the port with every description in foreign language and allow them in; they would have been intercepted immediately,” he said.
NAN

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NAFDAC Raids Anambra Market, Seizes Fake Drugs

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By Mercy Okpe.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, carried out enforcement at the popular Ogbo-Ogu Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, in Anambra State on Monday, February 10.

During the exercise, the operatives of the agency, led by the Director, NAFDAC South East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, confiscated a wide range of adulterated, substandard and expired drugs found at the various shops.

Addressing journalists, Iluyomade said the exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of eradicating fake, banned and other spurious NAFDAC-regulated products from circulating in Nigeria and to prevent members of the unsuspecting public from falling victim.

He said the agency was working in collaboration with the market task force in the exercise that led to the seizure of the multiple fake and banned products, adding that it was a combined exercise carried out simultaneously across all the South-East states.

He said, “Today, we are commencing our enforcement at the Ogbo-Ogu market. What triggered the exercise is that over time, we have been collating data and gathering intelligence on fake and substandard drugs in the market, and we got to the tail end and discovered that people are repackaging and rebagging fake and counterfeit drugs in the market.

“The exercise is aimed at raiding the markets of fake and substandard drugs and those that are made up of spurious, counterfeited and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed products and several other unsafe regulated drugs.

“This is taking place simultaneously across the South-East states, and it is aimed at sanitising the drug markets and safeguarding the health of members of the unsuspecting public.

“Among the drugs are expired, banned, substandard, deflective, repackaged and recalled products. We found out that some of the drug dealers are in the habit of imitating some popular drugs and pouring it into containers of the original manufacturer in order to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

“And these drugs are very sensitive that can lead to death or permanent disability of the consumer. The confiscation of the products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market and a proof of the agency’s resolve to safeguard the health of the people.”

He advised members of the public to patronise only licensed and registered drug outlets, adding that security operatives and the investigative team of the agency, as well as other stakeholders, are on the ground monitoring and ensuring that the enforcement goes smoothly.

However, when asked, Iluyomade, who could not give the estimated value of confiscated products in monetary terms, said it was an ongoing exercise that could only be determined at the end of it.

Among the products found in the market to have been faked and counterfeited included antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiacs, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, herbal remedies and psychoactive drugs.

Others were banned drugs such as analgin, tramadol (above 100 mg), gentamycin (280 mg), codeine and controlled substances, vaccines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and unwholesome food, empty plastics, bags and cans, among others.

Also present at the exercise were representatives of various trade unions, market leaders, the market task force, and other critical stakeholders.

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Drug abuse: NAFDAC launches safety club, warns students aganst peer pressure

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has advised students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, GGSS, Dutse, Abuja, to resist any form of peer pressure to abuse drugs.

The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the advice while inaugurating NAFDAC’s Consumer Safety Club, NCSC, at the school.

The club aims to engage and educate young people, spreading the message to desist from drug abuse among youths.

DG who was represented by Dr Paul Kamai, Deputy Director in charge of Narcotics in the FCT, Adeyeye said that students must remain focused to achieve their dreams and maintain a good reputation in society.

She urged the students to take only prescribed medication, concentrate on their studies, and develop their talents.

“Alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or race.

“Alcoholism is a chronic illness with an insidious onset, which may occur at any age, and adolescent drinking behaviour has been a vital social issue in several countries.

“Alcohol is very common in our community, where it is freely sold in sachets and small-volume bottles.

“These are very dangerous for adolescents like you, and you must learn to resist the urge to engage in alcohol consumption,” the Director-General said.

According to Adeyeye, NCSC is one of the agency’s special public enlightenment strategies targeting young people in its efforts to eradicate fake and substandard regulated products and promote a culture of quality.

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13 US patients receive kidney transplant in Nigeria amid Surge In Reverse Medical Tourism – VP Shettima.

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By Anastasia John E,Abuja


Vice President Kashim Shettima has observed that Nigeria is witnessing a surge in reverse medical tourism, with patients from the United States and other countries thronging the nation’s hospitals to seek affordable and high-quality kidney transplants. The Vice President attributed the choice of Nigeria for treatment to affordability and high-quality expertise within the country’s medical community. Speaking on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN) at the Presidential Villa ahead of the association’s 37th Scientific Conference, VP Shettima stressed the need for further investments in specialised medical education to sustain this progress. He said, “There is reverse medical tourism these days fundamentally because of the level of care at some of our hospitals. Recently, thirteen patients from the United States came to Nigeria for kidney transplants at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre because it is much cheaper here, and they receive the same level of expertise available anywhere in the world.” The Vice President praised Dr. Olalekan Olatise, Chief Medical Director of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, for his contributions to kidney care, describing him as “a very decent man who is highly altruistic” in his efforts to assist humanity. Shettima however noted the financial strain on patients, many of whom sell their homes or rely on government support to afford transplants. “While getting a kidney transplant is a significant challenge, life after a transplant presents even more difficulties. Many patients struggle with the cost of post-transplant care, including immunosuppressants, which are essential to maintaining their health,” he said. The Vice President recalled healthcare initiatives he had embarked on during his tenure as Governor of Borno State, as well as the success of ongoing free maternal care programmes he introduced. “At a hospital in my neighborhood, we provide a bag of rice and beans to every new mother.

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They record about 30 births daily, more than even the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). Over 4,000 deliveries have been recorded in less than eight months, with all medical expenses covered, including caesarean sections,” VP Shettima said. The Vice President also reiterated the need for Nigeria to build its medical workforce, noting that when he was in Borno State as Governor, he took 60 female students to study medicine in Sudan. “About 58 of them completed their education and passed the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) licensing exams. Most of them are now in their medical residency programmes. The beauty of training women in medicine is that they are more likely to stay back and serve their communities.
“We must make deliberate and targeted investments in specialised healthcare education in this country,” the Vice President said. Earlier, Dr. Olatise, who also serves as the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 37th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology, said the conference with the theme, “Revolutionizing Kidney Care in Nigeria: Evidence-Based Innovations,” will take place in Abuja from February 19-21, 2025. The association also announced plans to honour Vice President Shettima with the Kidney Champion Award in recognition of his advocacy and direct support for kidney patients, including funding immunosuppressants and proposing the establishment of a specialised laboratory for post-transplant care.

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Gov Ododo Directs Immediate Upgrade Of Teaching Hospital In Anyigba

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By Juliet Aliwo.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the College of Health Sciences and the Teaching Hospital at Prince Abubakar Audu University in Anyigba, Kogi state.

The Commissioner made this known during a visit to the university on Thursday.

He explained that the assessment aims to identify any deficiencies hindering the launch of the university’s Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program.

“Governor Ododo’s directive aligns with his vision to address the shortage of medical professionals in Kogi State by producing more qualified doctors and healthcare personnel.

“This initiative builds on the groundwork laid by former Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who oversaw the construction of a cutting-edge clinical complex at the university’s teaching hospital. The facility has been instrumental in expediting the accreditation and commencement of the MBBS program.

“Under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Professor Marietu Tenuche, the University has introduced essential allied health science courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Nursing Science, and Medical Laboratory Science,” he said.

The Commissioner said Gov. Ododo’s intervention will elevate Prince Abubakar Audu University to the status of the third medical degree-awarding institution in Kogi State.

He said the expansion represents a strategic long-term plan to address the shortage of doctors and healthcare workers, ultimately enhancing medical services in the state.

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