From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced on Monday that it has shut down six local manufacturers of finished pharmaceutical products over non-compliance with established rules of engagement.
NAFDAC Director-General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye said in a statement that the premises of the defaulting pharmaceutical companies were shut down after they were found to be involved in production and circulation of substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria, thus endangering the lives of Nigerians.
She said that the affected local pharmaceutical manufacturers were served appropriate notifications and that they had failed to meet the minimum Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards in line with extant requirements which are required to assure the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products.
The NAFDAC boss maintained that the companies would remain shut until the respective GMP compliances are met.
She was optimistic that the steps would serve as deterrents to all local and foreign manufacturers who might wish not to comply with basic GMP requirements and join the Agency in its renewed campaign to rid the country of substandard and falsified pharmaceutical products.
She recalled that NAFDAC recently blacklisted a foreign manufacturer of finished pharmaceutical products and delisted its local representative for gross violation of NAFDAC extant laws and regulations.