The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sanctioned 35 companies in Kano in the first quarter of 2023, according to Kasim Idrisa Ibrahim, the agency’s state coordinator.
Ibrahim noted that the companies were sanctioned for offenses ranging from non-compliance with NAFDAC guidelines in production to poor storage practices, substandard product production, and other sharp practices that could endanger the public’s lives and health.
The agency carried out 280 regulatory activities, 85 unscheduled visits to companies and business premises, and 108 surveillances to ensure best practices among manufacturers in the state.
Ibrahim described the poor level of drug storage in Kano as alarming and called on drug sellers to relocate to the pharmaceutical market equipped with modern storage facilities on Zaria Road to track fake and adulterated drugs.
He said, “One major problem in the state is poor storage of drugs. The efficacy of drugs in treating a patient starts with how and where the drug is stored.
“Drug sellers in the state have been observed to expose these products to harsh weather conditions. You sometimes find drugs which are supposed to be stored at a cool temperature under shelves above room temperature.
“Rather than provide relief to the consumer, such products end up causing more problems for the consumer and in some cases leads to loss of life.
“We are concerned because Kano is the Hub. Most of the neighboring states and as far as Adamawa, to Taraba states in the North-East, get their drugs from Kano. If we get it wrong here, it means the problem is spreading. This, we must not allow to continue.”
