Anambra Backs NAFDAC Efforts to Rid Markets of Fake Drugs

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) has pledged its support for the initiative of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to rid the state of fake and expired drugs.

Recall that a few weeks ago, the agency screened and sealed over 3,000 drug shops in Lagos and confiscated 24 truckloads of fake drugs in Anambra and Abia states respectively.

ANSEC at its fourth meeting at the Council Chamber on February 24, 2025, asserted its commitment to the eradication of counterfeit drugs in Anambra and its backing for the NAFDAC scheme.

According to a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Law Mefor, ANSEC commended Governor Charles Soludo, who visited the closed drug market in Onitsha and urged NAFDAC to expedite inspection and verification of the drugs being sold and manufactured in the state to ascertain their genuineness, while promising support.

To combat fake drugs, the council completed the Anambra State Pharmaceutical Hub, called Coordinated Wholesale Drug Centre (CWC), at Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area in Anambra State.

As part of Governor Soludo’s drive to ensure an enduring legacy in the healthcare sector, he recently built a new general hospital with modern facilities for the Okpoko community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, in fulfilment of the promise made before coming into office.

According to Dr Chinasa Eze, from the Ophthalmologist Unit of the Okpoko General Hospital,  the governor has equipped the eye care division with facilities to improve the sight of the people in the community.

Additionally, free antenatal services for pregnant women have been approved for the women of the community.

This comes on the heels of Governor Soludo’s award as the best-performing governor in primary healthcare delivery in the Southeast and Nigeria overall.

The prestigious awards were presented by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the United Nations Children and Education Fund (UNICEF).

The Anambra government has also upgraded primary healthcare centres and constructed five new general hospitals, equipping them with first-rate facilities and skilled personnel for efficient, affordable, and quality healthcare services, with the employment of 1,000 health workers.