NAFDAC Defends Faceless Products

Stories by Ndubuisi Eluwa
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, has defended its approval and registration of products without traceable local addresses saying such products have traceable addresses where they are manufactured.
Defending this stance to M2, Adegboyega Osiyemi, deputy public relations officer, NAFDAC, explains that, ‘The reason why such products are registered and approved is because, first of all, they meet the required standard and as such are considered safe for consumers; and secondly, they only have marketers here in Nigeria whose addresses they may not want to put on their products.’ He claims that the marketers are well known to the agency.
When asked how consumers who have issues with such products can seek redress, he responds that, ‘The best thing to do, including for products with traceable Nigerian addresses, is to come to NAFDAC office with proof and we know how to handle the matter from there. This is basically because the way and manner NAFDAC will handle the matter is different from the way the marketers will handle it.’
Many consumers have expressed worry at the growing spate of foreign products in the market with no traceable local contacts even though they carry NAFDAC approvals.