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The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Services Limited (PTML), for intercepting and seizing large quantities of unwholesome and unregistered drugs, which the die-hard smugglers attempted to smuggle into the country through the seaport.
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Services Limited (PTML) made this commendation during the handing over of the drugs seized by the NCS, PTML Command to NAFDAC in Lagos at the weekend.
The NAFDAC Director gave kudos to the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Adewale Adeniyi and the Customs Area Controller (CAC), PTML, Comptroller Joe Anani, for their unwavering synergy with sister governmental agencies towards ensuring to unwholesome products are not allowed into the country.
“It’s no longer like it used to be. And we’re moving forward. That’s why the federal government is always supporting us through the Nigerian Customs Service. That’s ensuring that duties on pharmaceutical equipment, raw materials are off. What I mean is that it’s either reduced or off totally.”
Olaniyan asserted that what it exactly means is that local producers are being encouraged and empowered.
“So, reliance is there. And their trust is also there. We should tap into this.
“Our importers should start looking at how to manufacture locally. We have its implementing policies like 5 plus 5 policy. 5 plus 5 means, five years of importation.
“Additional, five years for you to begin to think of bringing that technology to Nigeria.
“We just realized that some products that used to come from China, they brought the facility to Nigeria. Now, countries like Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, and the other African countries are now, who used to want to bring from China?
“They say, well, since Nigeria has facility here, we want to make use of them to manufacture in Nigeria for us. So, we send it to those countries.”
“We are developing a guideline now for, we call it for export only. Meaning that people don’t want to produce there, but they want it in other countries. And revenue will increase. So, as long as we focus more on this export switch. And they now want to seek our collaboration again, NAFDAC too has a desk for export disposition.
So, we want that everything, whatever that wants to export, NAFDAC related products should also pass through NAFDAC.
We don’t just do it because we want it. Some of those countries, they have their own specification that they want.
So, we want to pass through us, we have all the information about it. Let me n These are the things that I just feel I should emphasize.” The Director of NAFDAC remarked.
Comptroller Anani, thereafter lead the team to the satellite terminal for sighting of the seized drugs and signing and handing over notes.
Prior to that the NAFDAC Director did the honor of signing the business book as a traditional to the Customs Service. This was part of the showcasing to the whole world of the seizures as well as the proper handling to the department concerned.
Speaking further during the handing over, Comptroller Anani said: “In line with the CGC multi-trust on collaboration, NAFDAC have demanded of handling over of unregistered drugs, illicit drugs, and all what not.
“That is what we’re doing here this morning. I’ll be handling over these two 1x 40 feet container, as you can see, and a 1 x 20 feet container of unregistered antibiotics and high blood pressure drugs to the director of NAFDAC operations, Dr. Olakunle Olaniran. Today the 24th day of October, 2025, I hereby hand over one by 40 feet container and one by 20 feet container of unregistered antibiotics to NAFDAC for further action.”
Responding Dr Alaniyan: “Good afternoon once again, CAC and members of press and ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dr. Olakunle Olaniyan, Director, Ports Inspection Directorate of NAFDAC. It’s my pleasure to be here, on this very good occasion. Good occasion in the sense that, what is happening here this afternoon is what you know we celebrate. Because this consignment of substandard and classified medicine, is not or are not allowed to enter into the public space where it will have done unimaginable damage. Deaths or just name it. Because the products that are displayed here, are products that are very fast moving in the markets. The high blood pressure control medicines are here. Well known aminodipine and the likes are here. The antibiotics, amoxicillin, Chlorphenic acid as well, that’s the popular brand of Augmentin, but this is not Augmentin.
“But when you see the packaging, you will not be able to distinguish or differentiate from, I mean, this bad medicine from the good ones. When you look at it, you will easily think that it’s one of those medicines that is of higher standards. It’s well packaged, but it’s quite, unfortunate that people will want to continue to be doing this to us in this country.
“I want to thank the Nigerian Customs Service. The leadership right from the CG Customs, Dr. Bashir Adeniyi Adewale, and, all his able officers, all the able men and women of the Service for the wonderful job they are doing for the nation, they are doing so well for the nation by ensuring that, products, drugs that are not of high standards, that are not of good quality will not be allowed to go to the public space.” The NAFDAC Director enthused.
“And all these men are working very wonderfully well. And CAC J.A. Anani, the CAC of PTML Area Command has done this today to us. In the spirit of collaboration, and in the spirit of good citizenship of the country, I want to thank you, sir, and I want to thank all your men too, for the good job.”
He called on Nigerians to avoid buying drugs from roadside hawkers and unlicensed drug stores and open markets saying such drugs a prone wresking havoc to the end users.
“So, my appeal, again, is to our people that they should please, when you want to buy medicine, patronize licensed pharmacy, where you will see pharmacists, sitting down and attending to you. Don’t patronize, maybe hawkers, or people that are going around with briefcases. Don’t patronize them.
We know that it’s good, that it’s, protecting, but let us also do our own bits. Let’s do our own bits. We have other medicines that are here, and, my prayer is that, as God is helping us, our people will also imbibe the good spirit of nation building.
And, you know, we will not be doing this wrong things to their people.”
Fielding questions on the position of Customs such drugs, Comptroller Anani said such drugs are not allowed and can never be allowed to come in through his command.
The CAC averred that the drugs are not certified. “They cannot come in. That’s why we have men from NAFDAC on ground here, too, collaborating with us to achieve this kind of fit that we are seeing today when it comes to importers not complying and trying to beat the system. I will tell you that we just handed over to NAFDAC for further action. PTML has been a very clean port. Just that on some occasions we come across this kind of procedure that we are showcasing today. The stakeholders in PTML have been so compliant. We’ll continue to educate them. We’ll continue to engage them, to talk to our importers on what is wrong and what they should do when it comes to importation of this nature. For them to follow the right course. For them to be certified before they can do the importation of this nature,” Comptroller Anani concluded.
