abuja—The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, NAFDAC, has described as reckless, misleading, displeasing and irresponsible the claim that 70 per cent of pharmaceutical products circulating in Nigeria are fake.
The agency warned Nigerians to refrain from making such unsubstantiated and dangerous statements not evidenced-based and had no scientific proofs, stressing that this would not only scare foreigners but also make both Nigerians and non-Nigerians not to have confidence in Nigeria’s health system.
The Director, Special Duties of NAFDAC, Abubakar Jimoh, stated this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja, yesterday.
It will be recalled that last week, the Financial Services Advisory Leader and Chief Economist, Project Blue PWc Nigeria, Andrew Nevin, while delivering a keynote address at the 90th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, in Umuahia, alleged that at least 70 per cent of pharmaceutical products circulating in Nigeria were fake but did not quote the source of his findings.
Jimoh said: “Our attention at NAFDAC has been drawn to a report citing a representation by an expert (so to say) alleging that there are over 70 per cent fake and counterfeit drugs in circulation in the Nigerian market. That 70 per cent of all drugs circulating in Nigeria and Africa are counterfeit.
“I don’t know where the man drew that statement from because it was not referred to any study that was carried out. It was just one of the careless statements that people make, either under the guise of making a sensational news or I don’t know what he wants to achieve by that.’’
“Ordinarily, we don’t respond to such statements but since he described himself as an expert and that he is
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