The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is ramping up measures to prevent substandard and counterfeit products, especially pharmaceuticals, from entering Nigeria. China and India—Nigeria’s top two sources of imported medicines—remain key focus areas in this regulatory effort.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the effectiveness of the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) scheme in tightening oversight of imports from these countries.
While local production initiatives have reduced pharmaceutical imports from China and India from 70% to 60%, substandard and fake drugs from these regions still present a major challenge to public health.
“Because most of these drugs come from China and India, the CRIA scheme is operational in those two countries,” Adeyeye stated. “It ensures that only safe and high-quality products are shipped while preventing the export of substandard and counterfeit products.”
NAFDAC has appointed and accredited CRIA agents in China and India to conduct rigorous pre-shipment inspections to tackle the issue at the source.
In addition to appointing CRIA agents in China and India, NAFDAC is collaborating with COTECNA, a global testing, inspection, and certification service provider, to enhance quality control measures.
She urged stakeholders to engage with these CRIA agents before shipping any consignment to Nigeria.
“I strongly encourage you to engage with CRIA agents before shipping any consignment–that is, to our stakeholders– from China, India, or Nigeria. You have the flexibility to choose from any of the listed CRIA agents to ensure compliance and safeguard the quality of imported products.”
NAFDAC also introduced an electronic platform, the Port Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), to enhance document verification and streamline inspection processes.
Despite these efforts, Adeyeye posed a question she’s yet to answer, What happens to the rejected shipments?” she questioned. “Do they find a way back through illegal channels? This is a challenge we must tackle together with CRIA agents in China and India.”
To prevent such lapses and ensure only approved products enter Nigeria, stakeholders were strongly encouraged to visit NAFDAC’s official website for guidelines on product registration, labelling, and shipment requirements to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.