Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for its recent nationwide seizures of fake and substandard drugs, emphasizing that relaxing enforcement would put millions of lives at risk. Akpoti-Uduaghan described NAFDAC’s actions as “lifesaving interventions” that reinforce public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
She noted that the proliferation of fake drugs poses a grave threat to national health security, contributing to treatment failures, avoidable deaths, and erosion of trust in medical institutions. The Senator urged sustained legislative and budgetary support for NAFDAC to enhance surveillance, modernize laboratories, and strengthen border and market enforcement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s statement comes as NAFDAC continues to crack down on counterfeit and substandard products, with recent seizures valued at over N1 trillion. The agency has also launched a task force to tackle fake drugs and unsafe foods across Nigeria.