The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is intensifying efforts to prevent the entry of substandard and counterfeit products into Nigeria, especially from China and India, the country’s two largest pharmaceutical trade partners.
At a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the significant impact of the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) scheme, which has strengthened regulatory control over imports from these nations. Previously, China and India supplied 70% of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical imports, but NAFDAC’s push for local manufacturing has reduced that figure to 60%. However, counterfeit and substandard medicines from these countries remain a major concern.
“Since most of these drugs come from China and India, the CRIA scheme is active in both countries,” Adeyeye explained. “It ensures that only safe and high-quality products are exported while preventing the shipment of substandard and counterfeit goods.”
To address this issue at the source, NAFDAC has appointed and accredited CRIA agents in both China and India to conduct thorough pre-shipment inspections. In addition, NAFDAC is collaborating with COTECNA, a global testing, inspection, and certification service provider, to strengthen quality control measures.
Adeyeye urged stakeholders to engage with CRIA agents before shipping any consignments to Nigeria and emphasized the importance of using NAFDAC’s new electronic platform, the Port Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), to enhance document verification and streamline the inspection process.
Despite these efforts, Adeyeye raised an important question: “What happens to rejected shipments? Do they end up entering through illegal channels?” She called for collaborative action with CRIA agents in China and India to address this ongoing challenge.
To ensure compliance with regulatory standards and prevent lapses, stakeholders were strongly encouraged to visit NAFDAC’s official website for detailed guidelines on product registration, labeling, and shipment requirements.
