Curb supply of counterfeit drugs to Onitsha Market, Soludo urges FG
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has called on the federal government to intensify efforts to prevent the importation and distribution of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Soludo expressed concern over the infiltration of globally banned drugs into the country, evading law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
His remarks followed a discovery by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Saturday, where prohibited drugs were found hidden inside plumbing materials shops at the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market. The market had recently been sealed by regulatory and security agencies due to alleged illicit drug trade.
“I visited the Ọgbọ Ọgwụ and adjoining markets today in Onitsha. As the biggest open drug market in Africa, it is not surprising that federal agencies and regulatory bodies would, from time to time, enforce standards and check the sale of fake, counterfeit, and controlled drugs,” Soludo stated.
He noted that the discoveries made in some shops within the plumbing materials market were both “shocking and disturbing,” revealing cartons of counterfeit and controlled drugs, many of which had been banned globally.
“How these drugs, which have been banned both globally and locally, are still being manufactured in India, pass through our various ports (sea and air), and find their way to our local drug markets remains a question only the relevant authorities can answer,” he said.
Soludo urged the federal government to tighten control over the supply chain of fake drugs, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations at entry points.
To address the issue, the governor said he has directed an expedited search for counterfeit drugs to facilitate the reopening of the market.
Soludo further highlighted the ongoing construction of a Coordinated Wholesale Drug Centre in Oba, Idemili South LGA, which aims to establish a more regulated environment for drug sales and eliminate the chaotic market conditions that allow counterfeit drugs to thrive.
