The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake, banned, adulterated and unwholesome products worth more than N8 billion, seized across the North-Central zone.

The NAFDAC director-general, Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this at the destruction exercise on Thursday in Lafia.

Ms Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s North-Central Coordinator, Joseph Edor, said the products were seized from manufacturing facilities, sales outlets, markets and motor parks.

She said that most of the confiscated products were banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small containers of less than 200 millilitres.

According to her, NAFDAC was established by Decree No. 19 of 1993, as amended, to protect public health by ensuring that only quality, safe and effective regulated products were manufactured, imported, distributed and sold in Nigeria.

She explained that the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and glass bottles below 200 millilitres was introduced because their affordability, availability and portability made them susceptible to abuse by youths and underage schoolchildren.

“Research has shown that early exposure to alcohol affects the brain and other vital organs such as the liver and kidneys,” she said.

Ms Adeyeye added that early alcohol consumption could impair brain development, cause brain damage, undermine pupils’ academic performance, reduce productivity and contribute to various illnesses.

She said the ban and subsequent enforcement operations were aimed at curbing abuse, addiction and the adverse health effects associated with the products.

The NAFDAC boss said other items seized included expired, counterfeit and unwholesome food products, drugs and cosmetics.

She commended other law enforcement agencies, sister agencies and stakeholders for their continued collaboration with NAFDAC, particularly in intelligence sharing and providing security during enforcement operations.

Also speaking, NAFDAC Coordinator in Nasarawa State, Gyani Stephen, said the destruction exercise was not intended to hurt anyone but to protect public health and save lives.

He urged traders involved in the sale of fake and banned products to desist from the practice or face the full wrath of the law.

In his remarks, the Nasarawa State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Saidu Daniel, represented by Yakubu Awoh, commended NAFDAC for its efforts to safeguard public health.

Mr Daniel said allowing the dangerous products into the market could have endangered millions of lives and adversely affected the mental health of many people. 

(NAN)