
Senator Lanre Tejuoso
Countries in the West African countries like
Ghana, Sierra Leone and others on Friday,
June 3, officially shunned Nigerian made
drugs.
The Chairman of the Committee on Health,
Senator Lanre Tejuoso disclosed at one day
public hearing on An Act to Amend the
counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome
processed foods.
He said that economic loss as a result of
drug-counterfeiting is enormous and appear to
be increasing annually.
He also noted that according to the World
Health Organisation(WHO), about 32 billion
dollars were lost to drug counterfeiting
business 2004.
Tejuoso said, “Economic loss as a result of
drug-counterfeiting is enormous and appears to
be increasing annually. According to the WHO,
about 32 billion US dollars were lost to drug
counterfeiting business 2004 (WHO, 2006). This
increase to 40 billion US dollars in 2006 and
has kept increasing.
“Many pharmaceutical companies are deprived
of their rightful profit due to the unjust
competition from this brutal crime and have even
resulted in the collapse of some of the
companies.
“Made in Nigeria drugs were officially
unaccepted in other West African countries like
Ghana, Sierra Leone etc. The mandate of
NAFDAC is to regulate and control importation,
exportation, manufacture, advertisement,
distribution, sale and use of food, drugs,
cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and
chemical.
Declaring the public hearing open, the Senate
President, Senator Bukola Saraki represented
by Senator Dino Melaye said when the bill is
passed into law, individuals that are convicted
for non-compliance shall face stiff fines of up
to two million naira, and jail term life
imprisonment.
Source: Naij
Comments