The National Agency for Food and Drug Control (NAFDAC) has sent out a warning to Nigerians to be ware of the growing number of unapproved and dangerous products being put into the market by unscrupulous persons in the name of herbal medicines.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said most of the herbal medicines were in the form of snuff and oral liquids and were commonly sold on the streets.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC enforcement teams were embarking on a nationwide clampdown of manufacturers and distributors of the said harmful and uncertified products.
She further noted that the agency has commenced on a nationwide mop-up of a substance referred to as “sacra herbs” from the market in the interest of public health.
“We have also intensified a crackdown on all illegal manufacturers and distributors of herbal preparations and other unregistered preparations with a view to bringing perpetrators to book and minimising the usage of these substances,” she said.
Adeyeye further stated:“As it relates to the illegal manufacture, importation, advertisements and sale of unregistered herbal drugs, I want to assure Nigerians that NAFDAC is doing everything to ensure that only safe medicines and wholesome foods of the right quality are sold to our citizenry.
“We are also making efforts to increase the number of staff that we have, because we need more staff to go on the street for surveillance and post-marketing and monitoring.”
