NAFDAC Gets Fake Products Detection Boost From BOI

*Unveils Agilent High Performance Liquid Chromatography

By Chioma Umeha

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Tuesday, procured the latest model of 1260 series of Agilent High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as part of efforts to boost its capacity in tracking circulation of fake products.

The equipment donated by the Bank of Industry (BOI) will avail the agency opportunity to work with high output and sensitive instrument with multiple detectors. The Agilent HPLC, which can handle all products, is also designed to improve timelines of analysis of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, veterinary and other NAFDAC regulated products.

At the presentation of the equipment in Lagos, Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni said the new equipment will assist the agency to detect substandard and falsified medical products as well as unwholesome foods.

According to Oni, the agency is dedicated to ensuring that only the right quality food, drugs and other regulated products are manufactured, exported, imported, advertised, sold and used in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC boss said: “This instrument procured with the support of BoI will avail our laboratory analysts the opportunity to work with user-friendly, high output, sensitive instrument with multiple detectors that can handle various product types thus improving timeliness of analysis of Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, veterinary and other regulated products. It will also equip our analysts to detect and pronounce on substandard and falsified medical products as well as unwholesome foods in our collective efforts to protect public health.

“Our goal in NAFDAC is to achieve zero tolerance to counterfeiting of NAFDAC regulated products and this is guided by our vision of safeguarding the health of the nation. We are determined and committed to ensuring that only the right quality food, drugs and other regulated products are manufactured, exported, imported, advertised sold ad used in Nigeria. Furthermore, we are also committed to ensuring quality and timely releases of laboratory reports hence our request for top notch Laboratories with adequate equipment and well trained staff to perform optimally at all times.”

“We are also committed to ensuring quality and timely releases of laboratory reports, hence our quest for top notch laboratories with adequate equipment and well trained staff to perform optimally at all time.”

Speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Binta Bello noted that the partnership between BOI and NAFDAC will serve as a precursor for further collaboration between the heath sector and other sectors of the economy towards repositioning the health sector.

Bello said: “To my mind, this commissioning today will be precursor for further collaboration between the health sector and other sectors of the economy and it will thus further reposition the health sector in area of infrastructural support, capacity building and delivery of quality health services in the country.

“The problem of fake drug proliferation in Nigeria has affected the credibility of the healthcare system and has exerted very harmful effects on the consumer resulting to illness, disability and even death. Some of the incidences have resulted in dealth even among children because most time the consumers do not know the quality of what they are buying or taking. It is encouraging to note various unrelenting approaches including cutting edge technologies employed by NAFDAC in tackling this menace and bringing it under control.”

On his part, Acting Managing Director of BOI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju said that the support was in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for a better Nigeria.

“This is the beginning of greater ties between both organisations to strengthen the regulatory operations and promote ease of doing business in Nigeria.”