Health
NAFDAC Et Al Can Halt Embarrassment To Nigeria By Doing The Right Thing
By Olutayo Irantiola
After the country was embarrassed by the foods and drugs agencies of other countries, the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) addressed the media some weeks ago that Nigerians should stop embarrassing the country while trying to export farm produce and processed food. This is rather reactive rather than proactive and this has raised a lot of questions among Nigerians.
In a place like Lagos, different radio stations grant interview to organizers of various seminars wherein they claim to teach people on how to export different food items to other countries. Does this mean that any NAFDAC officer has never heard about these programmes for once or the Public Relations unit of the agency does not monitor the media Pan-Nigeria?
I do not doubt the availability of standard and international laboratories of NAFDAC but I doubt the effectiveness of these laboratories. Even locally, especially herbal drugs that have passed through this said laboratories, cannot be totally sacrosanct.
Also, there are lots of bottled water that have been certified by the organization and do not fit for human consumption.
In my search for information about how farm produce are certified before bring exported, I found out that there is no standard way of testing. The requirements of the products differ and the specifications of each country differ. I would like to know if NAFDAC has a catalogue of the specification of all the destinations where these products are exported to across the world.
Equally, the NAFDAC approval that is granted to edibles like Knorr, a food seasoning and products of the Nigerian Bottling Company, is not accepted overseas. As such, the international accreditation done locally does not guarantee the external certification by other agencies. People would not take the claims of NAFDAC seriously because of these experiences.
How free is any transaction with a government official in Nigeria? This is a very cogent question that needs to be answered by those working in government ministries and agencies.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) reiterates that driving license is N6,500 but I am yet to see people who did it at that rate and have good stories to tell at the end of the day.
The cheapest I have heard from people is N15,000 without receipt. The culture of kickback, kick-forward and kick-in-between while trying to get the produce certified in the civil service way would either kill the entrepreneur or make him lose business.
Before the era of the late Professor Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC was a toothless bull dog in Nigeria. During the days of the Midas’ touch of Professor Akunyili; those who manufactured drugs sat up and Nigeria was better for it.
NAFDAC was everywhere from the dailies to the electronic media. They were either confiscating and destroying drugs or sensitizing Nigerians about a particular product that should not be consumed. We have returned to the dark days when Nigerians were guinea pigs used to test fake and unhealthy products.
The Ministry of Agriculture cannot also be exempted from all the issues. Many farm settlements have died either a natural or artificial death because the extension workers are not supportive enough; many improved seedlings have been ceded to the family of the extension workers.
In fact, the fertilizers shown to be purchased by the state government on television have been given to their associates who have the wherewithal to manage their farms.
Also, there is no education about the use of pesticides. Farmers do not know how to apply pesticides; farmers intuitively apply these chemicals. As such, by the time the crops are harvested, they are unfit for human consumption and exportation.
There are professionals in the area of Agricultural Engineering. These are the crop of people that should help with advanced farm tools and implements that would change the crude ways of preserving farm produces and other commodities that need be exported.
If truly, the process used in producing dried fish and meat is not healthy, then the onus lies on them to manufacture equipment that will help us to be healthy as Nigerians. Moreover, these are even ways of improving on our traditional ways of life.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) needs to double up in her efforts to ensure that Nigerian remains a country that can export farm produce and other processed foods to other countries. The agency can help in working closely with other multi-lateral institutions to developing home-grown solutions before making it available for export.
The Nigerian project is in progress and there is a lot of synergy that is needed across agencies, ministries and the private sector. We need to develop a structure wherein all loopholes are blocked.
There should be laboratories at all the Ministries that have to deal with human lives.
Either in Nigeria or other countries, human lives are the fulcrum of development. We cannot continue to trivialize good health for profiteering sake. We all need to work together to make our country great while we are not limited in the volume of export to other nations of the world.
Olutayo Irantiola is a PR Specialist, Atọ́kùn, Yorùbá Lákọ̀tun, Book Reviewer, Creative Writer, Cultural Advocate, Poet and Citizen Journalist
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, on Tuesday said the organisation regretted the decision of the United States to withdraw from it.
After his inauguration on Monday, the new US President, Mr Donald Trump, signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the global health body.
“The World Health Organisation regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization.
“The organisation hopes that Washington will change its decision.
“We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe,” the health group stated in the statement.
This marks the second time Mr Trump has ordered the US to be pulled out of the world health body charged with global health welfare and monitoring.
Mr Trump was critical of how the international body handled COVID-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic.
However, after Mr Trump lost to President Joe Biden in 2020, the erstwhile American president, who later reversed that decision.
With his return to office, Mr Trump, through the executive action on day one, makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global agency.
The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations (UN).
President Trump was critical of the organisation for being too “China-centric” in its tackling of the COVID-19 pandemic and accused the WHO of being biased towards the Asian nation in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.
Under the Biden administration, the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO (around 14 per cent) and in 2023, it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget.
The organisation’s annual budget is $6.8 billion.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A healthcare technology platform, DoorSpace, has announced its exit from all Meta platforms, citing value differences and company culture as reasons for the action.
Ahead of the inauguration of Mr Donald Trump as the President of the United States of America (USA) for a second term on tomorrow, Monday, January 20, 2025, Mr Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to his platforms’ fact-checking system.
“The only way that we can push back on this global trend is with the support of the US government, and that’s why it’s been so difficult over the past four years, when even the US government has pushed for censorship,” Mr Zuckerberg said in a video.
He said Meta was welcoming political discourse back on Facebook, Instagram and Threads with the new Community Notes system, which will enable users to write and rate notes that can be added onto posts.
Mr Zuckerberg explained that Meta would be working closely with Mr Trump’s upcoming administration by showing users more content that is politically charged and not checked by third-party fact checkers.
This decision of Meta did not go down well with DoorSpace, which said it has ceased any activity and would no longer spend marketing dollars to advertise on Meta platforms.
“Zuckerberg’s business decisions to rollback its fact checking system and to open up the platform to allow for misinformation, hate and bullying, especially against vulnerable minority groups, shows his lack of understanding on the importance of diversity and common decency.
“Incel culture will continue to grow and fester in that curated environment, leading to more violence against these groups in the real world,” the chief executive of DoorSpace, Ms Sarah M. Worthy, said.
“”I need to stand by my values and use my position as a healthcare tech leader to advocate for the individuals who are directly harmed in both their professional and personal lives by the hate and misinformation being spread on Zuckerberg’s platforms.
“The Meta that Zuckerberg has created has become a cesspool that sells its users’ data to the highest bidder while utilizing manipulative and dangerous tactics to keep people on the app as long as possible,” Ms Worthy added.
“Your data is not secure on their platforms, their algorithmic feed is designed to sow division and misinformation, and the company has announced that it does not view every American equally.
“There is no need for our business to spend money advertising there or any reason for our brand to maintain an active presence there anymore,” she said further.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A transformative webinar to raise awareness on postpartum depression (PPD) by nursing mothers has been organised by MSc Media and Communication students from the School of Media and Communications of the Pan-Atlantic University.
The programme titled Beyond Baby Blues: Understanding and Overcoming Postpartum Depression was held on January 7, 2025.
It was put together by the students under the Mums Feel Warmth initiative, with experts in the field invited to speak on the matter aimed at empowering mothers and fostering a sense of reassurance.
The webinar was to highlight the journey through postpartum depression, offering a message of hope, resilience, and the importance of mental health support for mothers everywhere.
One of the speakers, Dr Laja Odunuga, who is the Care Coordinator for AVON HMO, explained the difference between the common “baby blues” and the more severe, long-lasting PPD.
The discussion highlighted how PPD can manifest not just as sadness but through severe fatigue, disconnection from the newborn, and loss of interest in activities, which can last well beyond the typical two-week period associated with baby blues.
Another expert, Ms Otomfon Ibanga, the Assistant Lead Nurse for Q-Life Family Clinic, emphasised the role of support systems, urging families and friends to be vigilant for signs of PPD and to provide a nurturing environment.
She also discussed prevention strategies, including prenatal planning for support structures and post-delivery management through therapy or medication.
On his part, Dr Chimaraoke Obialo, who is the Medical Director of Life Amada Health Consultancy, addressed the stigma surrounding PPD, advocating for education to transform societal perceptions from judgement to support.
The webinar underscored the need for community involvement, not just in recognising symptoms but in actively participating in the healing process by offering emotional and practical support.
The Mums Feel Warmth webinar was more than just an educational session; it was a call to action for society to embrace and support new mothers dealing with PPD.
By fostering open conversations and providing platforms for sharing experiences, Mums Feel Warmth continues to lead the charge against the stigma of PPD.
The commitment shown by the panellists and attendees alike promises a future where every mother has access to the understanding and care needed to navigate through the complexities of postpartum depression, ensuring that the joy of motherhood is not overshadowed by mental health challenges.
Mums Feel Warmth, with its core values of empathy, compassion, hope, community, and education, speaks to the Sustainable Development Goal 3, advocating for good health and well-being.
The initiative is breaking the silence around PPD, a condition that can significantly impact new mothers in the critical period following childbirth.
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