Deji Adeyanju Calls For Urgent Action Against Fake And Substandard Drugs

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has raised fresh concerns over the circulation of counterfeit drugs and substandard consumer products in Nigeria, urging President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the issue.

Adeyanju also called for the removal of NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

In a statement, the lawyer argued that the scale of counterfeit and substandard products in the country required urgent government intervention and a major review of the existing regulatory system.

He alleged that NAFDAC had been unable to effectively stop the spread of fake and substandard products, while also questioning the performance of SON and other agencies responsible for consumer protection.

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According to Adeyanju, Nigerians are increasingly exposed to potentially dangerous medicines and consumer goods.

He pointed to reports of medicines being sold in open markets and subjected to excessive heat as an example of the concerns facing consumers.

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

Adeyanju said regulatory agencies must be held accountable where they fail to protect citizens and called on the President to overhaul their leadership.

He urged Tinubu to remove the heads of agencies he considers ineffective and replace them with competent officials who can improve regulation 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.

The activist further demanded a comprehensive review of the country’s regulatory framework to address what he described as serious weaknesses in monitoring and enforcement.

He argued that the government should treat the proliferation of counterfeit medicines and substandard products as a national emergency.

Adeyanju concluded that Nigerians should not continue to bear the consequences of regulatory shortcomings.

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

His comments come amid renewed public attention on suspected counterfeit and substandard products. NAFDAC has maintained enforcement operations against unwholesome and counterfeit regulated products, including seizures and destruction exercises.