*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.”
