THE magnitude of global drug counterfeiting was brought to the fore when the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) estimated the global drug fraud between $75 and $200 billion yearly, even as the agency has listed some challenges facing the fight against counterfeiting medicines in Nigeria Speaking in Lagos at a press briefing to announce the agency's forthcoming annual summit and exhibition, NAFDAC Summex slated for October 13 this year, NAFDAC Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, stated that globally, "counterfeit medicine has grown tremendously in the last five or six years", because drug barons are diverting their resources to counterfeiting of medical products as it seems less risky and more lucrative. 

 

"Less risky because there are so many countries that do not have laws to punish counterfeiters. Nigeria is one of the countries that have laws against drug counterfeiters," Orhii said The summit, which is a convergence of stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector and academia, will serve as a single but effective platform of public engagement for NAFDAC and stakeholders, as well as to showcase new ideas and innovations. 

 

 

The Director-General explained that Nigeria is one of the several countries being targeted by drug counterfeiters, because Nigeria is a ''big country with 170 million people", adding that up till now Nigeria is yet to manufacture half of her essential medicines. Orhii, however, stated that the agency is upgrading the capacity of local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector to make Nigeria self- sufficient in drug manufacturing and consumption. 

 

He further explained that counterfeiters see Nigeria as a ripe market for counterfeiting, because the country has "a very high disease burden", adding that counterfeiting of malaria drugs used to be rampant in Nigeria until the agency stemmed the tide because 

 

" the market is huge." He explained that the agency has been doing its best to reduce counterfeiting medicines in the country, stating that the bill seeking life sentence for drug counterfeiters, being sponsored by the agency, is ready for presentation to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for onward transmission to the National Assembly as Executive Bill. 

 

By Amanda Ezeani

Daily Sun