Ogechukwu Agwu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and with the active support of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), will be returning to Ports and borders 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 Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye, 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 March 16, 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.
Meanwhile, the DG has commended 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.
“Members of the public are assured that NAFDAC 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 and are consumed by Nigerians and smuggling of chemical weapons, harmful drugs and substances into the country is checked,” she stated.