PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
AN ADDRESS BY SENATOR ANYIM PIUS ANYIM
GCON PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON FAKE AND COUNTERFEIT DRUGS ORGANISED BY
HEALTH COMMITTEE OF
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOUSE IN COLLABORATION
WITH THE NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL (NAFDAC)
FROM 20TH TO 24TH MAY. 2002
PROTOCOL:
It is with immense delight that I address the esteemed participants at this international conference on fake and counterfeit drugs organized by the House Committee on Health in Collaboration with National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control [NAFDAC]. I am further delighted that the workshop has eventually become a reality on account of the grave consequences of the theme.
Faking and counterfeiting of drugs is a global phenomenon, which should be collectively tackled at national and international level. Adequate legislation as well as functioning regulatory authority is critical to maintaining standard of regulated products in any country. To this effect the government of Federal Republic of Nigeria had been unrelenting in formulating laws and policies to check faking and counterfeiting of drugs. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Decree No.15 of 1993 as amended was promulgated to establish a competent regulatory Agency that will ensure the quality of pharmaceuticals and other regulated products in Nigeria.
The decree gives statutory responsibility to NAFDAC to control and regulate the manufacture, importation, exportation distribution, sale and advertisement of drugs, food, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and package water. The effective implementations of the regulatory process in Nigeria have posed serious challenge to successive governments.
I am please to note that the present management of NAFDAC has put in place adequate strategy to tackle the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. We have in the past twelve months witnessed a great reform in the Nigerian pharmaceutical environment and we pledge our full support to NAFDAC under the Federal Ministry of Health. We are indeed delighted that some of the reforms and strategies adopted by NAFDAC have started yielding positive results.
Nigerians and some members of the international community are living witnesses to the large-scale destruction of fake, substandard and counterfeit drugs recently carried out by NAFDAC. The present effort of NAFDAC to rid Nigeria and the international community of fake and counterfeit drugs is highly commendable and should be sustained. Fake and counterfeit drugs have no respect for any tribe, religion, race or nation. It cut across geographical boundaries with its lethal consequences. The health hazards and effects of fake and counterfeit drugs on the socio-economic well being of any nation and its people are enormous. And the negative trend I believe should be reversed.
There is therefore an urgent need for co-operation among National Control Authorities of the various countries of the world to effectively tackle the menace of fake and counterfeit drugs. This international conference is therefore expected to come up with modalities for such co-operation and to also sensitize the various countries of the world to give adequate and practical support.