Why We Hired Indians For Drug Inspection – Adeyeye, NAFDAC DG

National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stepped up its fight against fake medicine with the appointment of Cotecna Inspection Services as a Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) agent in India.

The move is party of the agency’s intensified efforts to prevent the importation of substandard and falsified (SF) medicines and other regulated products from India and China.

The appointment followed the Agency’s continued crackdown on counterfeit medicines, highlighted by the recent seizure and destruction of over N1 trillion worth of substandard and expired drugs from markets in Idumota, Onitsha, and Aba.

NAFDAC’s Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the latest move was aimed at further strengthening the Agency’s pre-shipment verification processes and regulatory oversight in key exporting countries.

In a statement yesterday by the agency spokesman, Sayo Akintola, the director-general reiterated the agency’s focus on mitigating substandard and counterfeit products through the CRIA scheme, emphasised that the trade in falsified medicines is a global menace that disproportionately affects low-and middle-income countries, including Nigeria.

According to her, the CRIA scheme, which has been operational in China and India, is a frontline strategy in screening products before export, adding that NAFDAC reviewed the performance of CRIA agents, resulting in the disengagement of one, renewal of contracts with two others, and the onboarding of two new agents in India, including Cotecna.

“Cotecna joins a lineup of CRIA agents mandated to inspect product quality, packaging, and labelling; conduct random testing; verify regulatory documents; and report non-compliance or attempts to bypass the process.

“Laboratories in both India and China are designated for product testing under the CRIA scheme, and only goods that pass inspection are cleared for shipment to Nigeria,” she said.

She also reported the introduction of the Ports Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), an electronic platform designed to verify CRIA and NAFDAC documentation, process inspection reports, and enhance transparency and efficiency at ports.

The NAFDAC boss, however, warned against any attempts to reintroduce rejected consignments into Nigeria, revealing plans for a collaborative effort with the Indian Government to track rejected medicines and prevent backdoor entry facilitated by unscrupulous individuals.

“We want to know what happens to the medicines rejected in India,” she said, adding, “NAFDAC will not allow such products to find their way back into our country.”

Adeyeye also urged exporters of NAFDAC-regulated products to engage approved CRIA agents prior to shipping to ensure compliance and safeguard public health.

She reiterated that all regulated products, barring those on the exemption list, must undergo CRIA processing.

The representative of CRIA agent, Cotecna, who is also the Vice President of Verification of Conformity and Africa, Lena Sodergren, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to quality assurance and international trade facilitation.