Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, Esq., has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria, warning that regulatory failure is costing Nigerian lives.
In a statement issued on Monday, Adeyanju said the widespread circulation of fake medicines and unsafe goods reflects “a complete collapse of regulation in critical sectors” and accused regulatory agencies of failing in their mandate.
“The alarming prevalence of counterfeit and substandard drugs and other consumer products in Nigeria points to a complete collapse of regulation in critical sectors,” he said. “Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun.”
Adeyanju specifically faulted the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, saying it “appears incapable of effectively curbing the proliferation of fake and substandard products.” He added that similar concerns extend to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, and other agencies tasked with consumer protection
To address the crisis, the activist urged the President to take immediate personnel and policy actions.
“The President must be alive to his responsibility and act decisively by removing the Director-General of NAFDAC and the heads of other failed regulatory agencies, including SON, and appointing competent leadership capable of restoring effective regulation and enforcement,” Adeyanju stated.
He further called on the Federal Government “as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and products and undertake a comprehensive review of the country’s regulatory system.”[to]
” Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for regulatory failure,” he added.
The call comes amid growing public concern over the sale of unregulated medicines and consumer goods across markets in Nigeria.
