The Anambra State Government has intensified efforts to tackle the circulation of fake drugs, adulterated food and other harmful products, with plans to introduce a toll-free telephone line through which residents can report suspected violations.
The Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, disclosed this on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting involving government agencies and other relevant bodies in Awka.
Obidike said the meeting focused on strengthening measures to protect residents from counterfeit and unsafe drugs, adulterated food and other products capable of posing risks to public health.
He called for swift action against individuals involved in the production and distribution of fake or illegal drugs, food adulteration and other practices that could endanger the lives of residents.
The Commissioner also stressed the importance of sustained public enlightenment across the state’s 21 local government areas to educate residents on the dangers associated with consuming or using unsafe products.
According to him, the proposed toll-free line would provide members of the public with a direct channel to report suspected cases of fake drug sales, illegal drug production, food adulteration and other harmful practices.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, pledged his ministry’s support for the campaign through increased public enlightenment and collaboration with relevant regulatory agencies.
Mefor expressed concern over the circulation of fake prescription and lifesaving medicines, as well as the alleged use of harmful substances in food preparation.
He called for stronger monitoring mechanisms, the establishment of a special task force and prompt response to information supplied by members of the public.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Head of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Louis Madubuattah, called for increased sensitisation of food producers, sellers, handlers and distributors.
Madubuattah disclosed that NAFDAC conducted about 492 inspections and other routine regulatory activities in Anambra in 2025, resulting in more than 100 sanctions.
He added that the agency carried out more than 300 similar activities in 2026, with about 71 sanctions recorded.
He proposed a one-month public awareness campaign using radio, other media platforms and direct engagement with food producers and handlers across the state.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, State Coordinator, Fidelis Wariboko, also emphasised the shared responsibility of stakeholders across the production and supply chain in preventing harmful products from reaching consumers.
Wariboko called for stronger collaboration and information sharing among regulatory agencies, particularly NAFDAC and SON, noting that no single government agency could effectively tackle the problem alone.
The stakeholders agreed on the need for increased public awareness, stronger regulatory coordination and faster responses to reports of suspected violations as part of efforts to safeguard public health in Anambra State.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
