NAFDAC Procures Fake Drug Detector Machines Worth $2.45m

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it has procured no fewer than 43 Truscan scanning equipment worth $2,451,000 to check the quality and quantity of drugs produced and imported into the country.

It also said it would reach World Health Organisation Maturity Level four and World Listed Authority Status by the first quarter of 2024 as its new initiative to enable global trade of Nigerian-made pharmaceuticals through collaborative registration with other regulatory agencies, among others.

A TruScan is a hand-held device used for on-the-spot detection of counterfeit medicines. It allows regulators and law enforcement agents to conduct field-based screening of pharmaceutical samples to quickly and accurately identify counterfeits.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a press conference held on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, the new initiative will also enable the agency to attain Vaccine Lot Release ML4 to position Nigeria strategically for vaccine manufacturing.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), approved the renewal of the appointment of Prof. Adeyeye as the DG of NAFDAC on December 1, 2022.

Adeyeye, who was appointed in 2017, ended her renewable first term of office on November 2, 2022.

Adeyeye said, “It will ensure good manufacturing practice of Nigeria vaccine companies and assure quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines manufactured in Nigeria or imported.”

Adeyeye while giving an account of her first tenure in office boasted that her leadership has transformed NAFDAC from a distress to revenue generating agency in five years.

She said, “Debt of N3.02 billion inherited was paid off within my first year in office. The sum of about N180 million was discovered to be fictitious. The IGR has tripled to N2.5 billion. User fees have more than doubled to N15 billion.

“From 2019 to date, the International Partners funding (Cash and Technical Support) received amounted to $3,927,186.00. These funds are currently being utilised for specified purposes.”

Adeyeye also said NAFDAC was reorganised and more directorates created from 13 to 27 for effective management.

She added, “We established a continuous training culture in the customer-centric Quality Management System for all NAFDAC mandates. There was an accreditation on QMS (ISO 8001-2015) in 2019 and yearly re-accreditation since that time. More motivated staff through training and better emoluments.

“The better financial management enabled improvement of infrastructures and building of State offices and laboratories in Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Ogun, Kwara, Osun, and Ebonyi; plus, Ports Inspection Directorate Airport NAHCO Office and Yaba Drug Laboratory are completed or near completion respectively to meet WHO specifications,” she said.

Adeyeye also disclosed that over 140 New Utility Vehicles were procured for Inspection and other activities with over N5 billion worth of laboratory equipment.

“Scheme and Condition of Service were instituted for the first time in the history of the Agency – currently awaiting approval by the Head of Service”.

“Lopsidedness in the hiring of new staff was remedied with the FCC Compliance Certificate on File; established palpable and sustained collaborations with sister agencies such as PCN, NHREC, NCDC, NPHCDA, FCCPC, SON, etc.), with some supported with Memorandum of Understanding; aligning NAFDAC with international standards in food, drugs, and other regulated products regulation. The re-accreditation (ISO 17025-2017) of four laboratories since 2018, and accreditation and continual re-accreditation (ISO 17025-2017) of Biologics/Vaccines laboratories in 2019. All the above are part of WHO Requirements for Maturity Level 3 that were met,” she added.