NAFDAC to Boost Local Production of Drugs

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is to boost the capacity of local drug manufacturers in the production of a large percentage of drugs needed in the country.

The NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, said this in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday while inspecting the Central Drug Stores at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He expressed delight with the drug distribution network in the state coordinated by the CDS headed by its General Manager, Mr. Peter Olajiga.

With improved local production of drugs, Orhii said the problem of drug counterfeiting would be a thing of the past.

He said, “About 70 per cent of the drugs used in Nigeria come from other countries like China and India. But what happens to about 167 million Nigerians if anything happens and drugs could not come into Nigeria from these countries?

“We have required some local pharmaceutical companies to upgrade their facilities in order to be able to produce more so that Nigeria can become self-sufficient in drugs production.”

He stated that Nigeria was the number one buyer of Chinese drugs in Africa and the fourth largest importer of Chinese drugs in the world.

Orhii noted that the agency had particularly gone to China and India to ensure that they do not allow fake drugs into Nigeria.

The DG also canvassed stiffer penalties for fake drugs peddlers in order to deter people from engaging in the illicit business.

Source: Legit.ng