The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired medicines and medical consumables valued at ₦59 million in Rivers State.
The pharmaceutical products, which were imported from the United States as donations, were intercepted at the Area 1 Port in Port Harcourt by NAFDAC officials working with the Nigeria Customs Service.
The consignment, packed in a 40-foot container, contained antidepressants, anti-ulcer drugs, painkillers, medicines for hypertension and various medical consumables.
The expired products were conveyed to the Igwuruta dumpsite along the Eneka-Igwuruta Road, where they were destroyed under regulatory procedures to prevent their circulation and possible use by unsuspecting members of the public.
Speaking during the exercise, NAFDAC South-South Zonal Director, Chukwuma Oligbu, said the action reflected the agency’s responsibility to protect Nigerians from medicines that could endanger their health.
According to him, while medicine donations play an important role in supporting healthcare delivery, products that have expired or failed to meet regulatory requirements cannot be allowed into circulation.
Oligbu said NAFDAC would continue its inspection, surveillance and enforcement operations throughout the South-South zone to ensure that pharmaceutical products available to the public meet established standards of quality, safety and efficacy.
He further advised organisations involved in medicine donations to improve their planning and coordination to ensure that donated drugs are properly managed and delivered before their expiration dates.
