Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has asked President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju, in a statement issued in Abuja, also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the leadership of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
He said the growing circulation of unsafe products pointed to weaknesses in the country’s regulatory and enforcement systems.
According to him, Nigerians are being exposed to potentially dangerous medicines and other consumer goods, creating concerns about public safety.
Adeyanju particularly cited reports of medicines being sold wholesale in open markets and exposed to excessive heat.
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“No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise,” he said.
The lawyer accused NAFDAC of being unable to effectively curb the spread of fake and substandard products. He said similar concerns extended to SON and other agencies responsible for consumer protection.
Adeyanju urged President Tinubu to take decisive steps to strengthen the regulatory system, including reviewing the leadership of agencies responsible for enforcing product standards.
“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.
He argued that new leadership should be appointed where necessary to restore effective regulation, monitoring and enforcement.
Adeyanju also called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s regulatory framework, saying the government needed to address systemic weaknesses that allow unsafe products to reach consumers.
He urged the Federal Government to treat counterfeit and substandard drugs as a national emergency.
The lawyer maintained that stronger enforcement was necessary to protect Nigerians from unsafe medicines and other products.
“Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for regulatory failure,” he said.
The call comes as concerns over counterfeit and substandard products continue to attract attention. NAFDAC has reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and unwholesome regulated products as part of its enforcement activities.
