Posted on: Tue 19-12-2023

Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has said about 12,000 employees are needed for the agency to continue fulfilling its role of ensuring public health.

The DG disclosed this at a media briefing, yesterday, in Lagos.

While fielding questions from journalists at the event, she said NAFDAC operates with 2,000 employees, a far cry from the necessary 12,000 needed.

She expressed the agency’s commitment to tackle new challenges, adding that any increment in staff, even in small instalments, would be beneficial.

“We need about 12,000 staff strength. Right now, we have 2 000. It is a long journey, but we will not refuse, even if it is 500 for now. If we get 500 every year, that will help us. We are doing double the work, even as our staff strength is shrinking,” Adeyeye stated.

Addressing the recent busts of large hauls of fake wines, soft drinks and consumables in Abia, she said after acting on intelligence gathered over several weeks, NAFDAC raided Eziukwu Market, also known as Cemetery Market, and uncovered a shocking network of shops-turned-factories churning out a variety of fake and harmful beverages.

She stated: “Some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included the manufacturing of all kinds of adulterated products, especially different kinds of wine, including Seaman Schnapps, Hennessey, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapps Dry Gin, McDowell’s, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, Eva and Evra non-alcoholic drinks and Cartel.

“There is also date revalidation for expired products like milk, ketchups, yoghurt Coca Cola products, packaging of fake and substandard products, which are later sold to unsuspecting members of the public for consumption. The operation saw the agency raiding over 240 shops that had been transformed into illicit factories producing and marketing harmful products.”

The shops-turned-factories are reportedly filthy, while the producers use water from unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles and cloned packaging materials of other brands.

The Guardian gathered that adulteration of alcoholic beverages by unscrupulous elements in the country is done by mixing cheaper sources of sugar and starch, in lieu of grapes or fruit, among other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.

Adeyeye stated that over 1,500 cartons of the fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation, while 300 cartons were evacuated to NAFDAC warehouse, noting that the street value of the confiscated and destroyed products was estimated at over N750 million.

“Ten persons apprehended at the scene of the crime will face charges after thorough investigation. Due to the sheer magnitude of illegality going on in the section of the market, NAFDAC had to shut the entire market for thorough regulation until an agreement was reached with all stakeholders in the market and undertaken signed that the market would never be used for such nefarious activities anymore,” she emphasised.

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