In a decisive step to stem the tide of counterfeit and harmful pharmaceuticals into Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigeria Customs Service have inaugurated a joint Implementation Committee to operationalise their 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
A statement issued by Customs on Friday confirmed that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, paid an official visit to the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, at her Abuja office on Wednesday, to formally inaugurate the committee.
Originally signed on 14 November 2024 during the CGC’s Annual Conference in Abuja, the MoU seeks to strengthen regulatory cooperation between both agencies to block the influx of fake, substandard, and unregistered medicines and other harmful substances at Nigeria’s borders.
“Every time we meet, your position has always been for us to come together and deepen collaboration,” CGC Adeniyi said at the inauguration. “This implementation committee will drive our shared vision to protect Nigerians from harmful, unregulated substances.”
He explained that Terms of Reference had been developed for the committee, covering joint planning, operational harmonisation, monitoring, evaluation, and identifying practical solutions to regulatory gaps.
Prof. Adeyeye described the inauguration as a shift “from dialogue to action,” pledging NAFDAC’s full support. “Regulatory cooperation with Customs is central to efforts to rid Nigeria of fake, substandard, and harmful products,” she said.
The committee will be chaired by Olakunle Olaniran of NAFDAC, with Smart Akande, Director of Legal Services and Legal Adviser to Nigeria Customs Service, serving as Deputy Chairman, alongside other key representatives from both agencies.
