Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer and founding partner of Deji Adeyanju and Partners, has raised concerns over the continued circulation of counterfeit medicines and substandard products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju has consequently appealed to President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on fake drugs and strengthen the country’s regulatory system.
In a statement issued in Abuja, he also demanded the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory institutions, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
Adeyanju argued that the continued presence of fake and substandard products in the Nigerian market indicated significant gaps in regulation and enforcement.
He said Nigerians were being exposed to potentially unsafe medicines and consumer goods and questioned the ability of regulatory agencies to adequately protect the public.
The lawyer was particularly concerned about reports of drugs being sold wholesale in open markets and exposed to excessive heat.
He warned that improper handling and storage of medicines could create additional risks for consumers.
“No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise,” Adeyanju said.
He urged President Tinubu to hold regulatory authorities accountable and take steps to strengthen the agencies responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of products sold across the country.
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Adeyanju specifically called for new leadership at NAFDAC, SON and other agencies where he believes regulatory responsibilities have not been adequately discharged.
“The President must be alive to his responsibility and act decisively by removing the Director-General of NAFDAC and the heads of other failed regulatory agencies, including SON,” he said.
Beyond leadership changes, Adeyanju called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s regulatory framework.
He said the government should examine how medicines and other consumer products are monitored from production and importation through distribution and sale.
According to him, stronger enforcement would be necessary to prevent counterfeit and substandard products from reaching Nigerians.
Adeyanju described the situation as serious enough to warrant national emergency treatment and urged the Federal Government to act before more citizens are exposed to potentially harmful products.
“Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for regulatory failure,” he said.
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