FG Launches Multi-Agency Task Force to Combat Fake Drugs and Unsafe Foods

Abuja, Nigeria— The Federal Government has officially inaugurated a multi-agency task force dedicated to tackling the escalating menace of counterfeit drugs and unwholesome processed foods nationwide.

Unveiled in Abuja, the Federal and Zonal Task Force represents a key initiative to protect public health and restore trust in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, described the surge in fake medicines and unsafe food products as a “national emergency” requiring urgent and coordinated action.

“Counterfeit drugs and unsafe foods threaten not only our health but also our economy, our future, and our very lives,” Prof. Pate declared.

The minister explained that this task force forms an integral part of President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ in the health sector. Its mandate includes strengthening regulatory governance, enhancing population health outcomes, unlocking value across the healthcare chain, and advancing national health security.

Highlighting the dangers, Prof. Pate warned that fake medicines exacerbate chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and cancer by exposing patients to ineffective or harmful substances.

“If Nigerians lose faith in the safety of their food and medication, the foundation of public health crumbles,” he cautioned.

He also admonished regulators and enforcement personnel against complacency, urging them to recognize that unsafe products in the market ultimately jeopardize their own families.

“You might think you’re immune, but what circulates in the market can easily end up on your dinner table,” he said.

Earlier in the event, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, emphasized the significance of the new task force. She revealed that between February and March 2025, over 100 trucks of fake and substandard goods worth more than N1 trillion were seized and destroyed in Onitsha and Ariaria markets.

Prof. Adeyeye further reported the arrest of numerous illegal traders and the discovery of extensive networks dealing in counterfeit medicines, unregistered drugs, and unsafe food products.

Reaffirming NAFDAC’s resolve for vigorous enforcement, she stressed that cleansing the system demands collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies, government bodies, industry stakeholders, and citizens.

“The formation of this task force, empowered under Cap C 34, underscores our collective determination. It recognizes that combating illicit products requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral strategy—swift, resolute, and unyielding,” she stated.

Heading the newly formed task force is Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC. The team comprises representatives from NAFDAC, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), police, customs, army, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Both federal and zonal units of the task force will intensify surveillance at seaports and border crossings, clamp down on illegal markets for drugs and foods, enforce stricter laws regulating counterfeit products, educate the public on detecting unsafe items, and support legitimate local manufacturers and producers.

By Taiwo Olatinwo | August 8, 2025