NAFDAC inaugurates Kano task force to tackle fake drugs, unsafe foods

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated a Kano State Task Force Committee to combat fake, counterfeit and unwholesome processed food products and drugs.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday in Kano, said the initiative was a strategic move to strengthen enforcement against substandard regulated products and protect public health across Kano.

Adeyeye, represented by the NAFDAC Director, North-West Zone, Kaduna, Mr Fraden Nantim-Mullah, said the task force operated under the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate as a federal operational arm.

She warned that counterfeit drugs and unsafe foods posed serious public health risks, undermined confidence in the healthcare system, and threatened national development and economic stability if not addressed decisively.

According to her, Kano’s status as a major commercial hub made it vulnerable to the manufacture, importation, and distribution of substandard and falsified products across local and regional markets.

She said the task force would conduct intelligence gathering, surveillance, enforcement operations, seizure of illegal products, arrests, prosecution of offenders, and public sensitisation to reduce circulation of fake products.

Adeyeye added that the initiative was backed by the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act, empowering enforcement agencies to take decisive legal action against offenders nationwide.

She urged members to carry out their duties with integrity, professionalism, and courage to safeguard public health and ensured compliance with national regulatory standards in the state.

Kano State Secretary to the Government, Umar Farouk-Ibrahim, said the reconstitution of the task force was necessary to address rising drug abuse and counterfeit products affecting communities.

He said drug addiction remained a serious social challenge, noting that youths constituted more than 60 per cent of the state’s population and were most affected by illicit substances.

He warned that recent reports of families seeking rehabilitation for children reflected the urgent need to disrupt supply chains of fake drugs and unwholesome products across the state.

Farouk-Ibrahim assured government support for the task force, urging members to resist inducement and remain committed to enforcing regulations without compromise or interference from vested interests.

He announced Pharm. Kamilu Mudi-Salisu as chairman of the committee, SP Abubakar Abdulkadir (Pharm), representing the Commissioner of Police; and Pharm. Hasiya Abubakar-Ladan of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); as members.

Other members include Barr. Aisha Salisu of the Ministry of Justice; Pharm. Murtala Isa-Umar of PCN, Mr Kassim Idrissa-Ibrahim, NAFDAC Kano Coordinator, will serve as Secretary, while Sani A. Abdulkadir of the Cabinet Office will serve as Co-Secretary.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said Kano remained a critical hub in Nigeria’s fight against counterfeit medicines, especially anti-malaria and other essential drugs.

He warned that many counterfeit medicines contained no active ingredients, describing the situation as a silent but deadly threat causing avoidable deaths across communities in Nigeria.

Iluyomade revealed that eight containers of cloned medicines were recently intercepted, with Kano identified as their intended destination for distribution within local markets.

He called for sustained collaboration among federal and state authorities, warning against pressure from vested interests that might attempt to frustrate enforcement operations.

Chairman of the task force, Mr Mudi-Salisu, pledged commitment to reducing fake drugs and unsafe foods, urging public cooperation and reporting of suspicious activities across communities.

He said the task force was empowered to conduct raids, seize illegal products, seal premises, and prosecute offenders in line with existing national laws and regulations.(NAN)