By Sunmola Olowookere

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In a quest to achieve its aim of protecting and promoting public health by ensuring only the right quality Food and Drugs and other regulated products are manufactured and used in Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC) has raised pressing issues of concern about consumables and chemicals with manufacturers.

Part of the issues for concern raised by the NAFDAC is about people producing outside places authorised for them by NAFDAC and also adding products that have not been approved by the agency to their market products.

The Director of NAFDAC in charge of South-West Zones, Mrs Roseline Ajayi while listing the issues advised that there are established provisions for applying for additional production sites and products while warning that unauthorized facilities and products will be penalized.

While recalling the fatal Ibadan explosion, she warned against storing of or usage of   chemicals without approval known as chemical listing certificate saying that the Ibadan explosion was due to the storage of a product that had not been listed by NAFDAC.

Another area of gross violation by manufacturers listed by NAFDAC was on the issue of labelling comprising of production and expiry dates and location address on their products.

The Director insisted that these issues among several others for concern were important as the agency was much concerned about the health and safety of Nigerians’  lives and property.

The partners at the stakeholders meeting with NAFDAC include Master Bakers Association, Association of Patent Medicine Dealers, Association of Table Water Producers, Supermarkets owners and Pharmaceuticals concerns.

While welcoming the stakeholders on behalf of the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, the director said the meeting was an engagement with the stakeholders operating in Ondo state for the purpose of sensitization and enlightenment on the focus of the agency.

Ajayi called on all stakeholders operating in the regulatory space to embrace and confront the dynamic nature of the business environment with a view to exploring the opportunities inherent in the challenges.

Her words :”It is a statement of fact that the business environment is experiencing several challenges including subsidy removal, unpredictable exchange rates, unstable power supply and other issues threatening business sustainability.

“However, those engaged in NAFDAC regulated products must come to the understanding that safety, standard and quality are not negotiable. NAFDAC under the leadership of Prof. Mojisola Christiana Adeyeye is concerned about the challenges posed by the factors mentioned above and hence, introduced some intervention measures to ease the burden on NAFDAC stakeholders.

“We can justifiably affirm that NAFDAC is ‘Customer focused and Agency minded’. The Director General recognises that all the aforementioned efforts may not yield the desired results without the understanding and a buy-in by the stakeholders. Hence, the directive to engage stakeholders for enlightenment and interactive sessions on the way forward”

Part of the measures targeted at easing the burdens of manufacturers include

Waiver of Administrative charge for late renewal of licenses (MSME & Water), Full migration of NAFDAC processes to the digital platform on the NAPAMS portal and the Single Trade Window, Streamlining registration requirement for MSME operators and construction of a new NAFDAC office complex in the state capital.

Some of the stakeholders delivered goodwill messages at the meeting and. raised issues of concern too regarding manufacturing in the state and nation.

Speaking on behalf of Association of Table Water Producers, Rotimi Ikumapayi urged NAFDAC to place some measure of control on the number of licenses it issued out to intending table water producers, saying that where there are too many producers, it brings about too much supply over demand which does not augur well for business.

Also speaking for Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Mr. Tundun Adura explained that the agency is in charge of enforcing electricity rules for safety of lives and property while calling on the manufacturers to visit the agency for proper advice on their electricity issues.

He commended NAFDAC on its role of ensuring that consumables in the Nigerian markets is beneficial to the body.

Emmanuel Adejuwon, Chairman, head of forums equally called on manufacturing companies especially table and sachet water producers to always put the dates of production and the expiry dates on their product which could also be beneficial to them in avoiding needless litigation.

He thanked NAFDAC for the three months waiver given to them and the opportunity to carry out processes of registration for licences and inspection.

Another NAFDAC Director, Dr. Charles Nwachukwu warned manufacturers especially bakers to desist from substituting expensive manufacturing material with cheaper ones that could be detrimental to consumers’ health.

Dr. Nwachuckwu disclosed that since the price of sugar went up, NAFDAC discovered that many bakers had been using sweetners in their bread because it was affordable and when they put a little in the bread, it spreads a lot.

While agreeing that times are hard, he disclosed that such sweetners are agents of cancer and other ailments that have  been killing Nigerians  and warned manufacturers against adulteration of their products in order to safeguard the lives of their customers.