The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to explain how drugs without their registration numbers entered the country.
Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in charge of Tariff and Trade, CK Niagwan, pulled the call while addressing questions from the audience which was done after a roundtable dialogue between the NCS and the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) at the custom training college in Lagos.
The dialogue between NCS and HFN aimed to address healthcare challenges like the high cost of medical care, cargo delays, extra damage costs, risk classification and additional duties being paid.
She said at the ports, NAFDAC takes charge of joint pharmaceutical product inspections with the NCS.
“At the ports, we have NAFDAC take charge of joint inspections of pharmaceutical products with the Nigerian customs service. So, NAFDAC should be able to answer how those goods are allowed because they have the power to detain the goods that don’t have their number,” the DCG who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi answered during the questions and answers session.
However, NAFDAC in its document, “Guidelines for Registration of Imported Drug Products in Nigeria (Human and Veterinary Drugs)” said, that no drug shall be manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, sold distributed or used in Nigeria unless it has been registered in accordance with the provisions of NAFDAC Act.
It read, “It is necessary to emphasise that, no drug shall be manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, sold distributed or used in Nigeria unless it has been registered in accordance with the provisions of NAFDAC Act CAP N1 (LFN) 2004, other related Legislations and the accompanying Guidelines.”
