Adeyanju Calls For State Of Emergency Over Fake Drugs In Nigeria

Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.

Adeyanju also urged the President to remove the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, alongside the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

In a statement issued in Abuja, Adeyanju said the growing circulation of fake and substandard products required urgent government intervention and a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s regulatory framework.

The lawyer alleged that NAFDAC had not done enough to effectively curb the spread of counterfeit medicines and other unsafe products. He expressed similar concerns about SON and other agencies responsible for protecting consumers.

Adeyanju said Nigerians were being exposed to potentially dangerous products on a daily basis, ranging from medicines to other consumer goods.

He also raised concerns about reports of medicines being sold wholesale in open markets and exposed to excessive heat.

“No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise,” he said.

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Adeyanju argued that the situation demonstrated weaknesses in regulation and enforcement and called on the Federal Government to take decisive action.

He urged Tinubu to replace the leadership of agencies he believes have failed to adequately protect consumers and appoint officials capable of strengthening monitoring and enforcement.

“The President must be alive to his responsibility and act decisively by removing the Director-General of NAFDAC and the heads of other failed regulatory agencies, including SON,” he said.

He further called for a comprehensive review of the country’s regulatory system, saying stronger mechanisms were needed to prevent counterfeit and substandard products from reaching consumers.

Adeyanju maintained that the Federal Government should treat the issue as a national emergency because of its potential implications for public health.

“Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for regulatory failure,” he said.

His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigerian markets. NAFDAC has continued to report seizures and destruction of suspected counterfeit, expired and unwholesome regulated products, while concerns over product safety remain a subject of public debate.