The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned stakeholders in the regulated products sector to comply fully with its guidelines or face legal consequences.
The warning was issued by the South-East Zonal Director, Dr Festus Ukadike, during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitization programme on Thursday in Owerri.
The programme brought together groups including the Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, and the National Association of Patent Proprietary Medicine Dealers.
Ukadike reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health, saying: “NAFDAC has the mandate to ensure that all regulated products meet standards of quality, safety and efficacy. Our shared responsibility is to protect public health.”
He urged participants to comply with good hygiene and manufacturing practices, maintain valid registration licences, and ensure that their processes, personnel and equipment met NAFDAC standards.
He also stressed the importance of proper storage and distribution practices, and adherence to scientific standards, warning against unsubstantiated claims that a single drug could cure multiple ailments.
“Report anyone refusing to comply with NAFDAC regulations. Even suppliers of simple items like chin chin or fried plantains must have NAFDAC registration numbers. Any packaged product for public use must be registered,” he said.
Ukadike expressed optimism that the sensitization programme would strengthen compliance but noted that the agency would intensify enforcement against unsafe or unregistered products.
Earlier, the NAFDAC State Coordinator, Mrs Helen Okanya, said the meeting aimed to deepen collaboration with sectoral groups to tackle substandard medical products, promote good storage practices and maintain hygiene standards.
She added that the programme would support the registration of regulated products, improve information sharing and enhance monitoring of distribution channels.
A pharmacist, Dr Okey Unogu, commended NAFDAC for providing a platform to address challenges facing stakeholders and for its continued efforts to sanitize the sector.
