The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) have directed drug marketers in Kano to move their businesses to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Dangwauro to tackle the spread of substandard and falsified medicines (SFs).
The directive was announced during a press briefing held in Lagos, where NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and PCN Registrar, Ibrahim Ahmed, emphasized the need for compliance with a Federal High Court ruling from February 2024 mandating the relocation.
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They identified open drug markets in Kano, including those in Sabon Gari, Malam Kato, and Mai Karami Plaza, as hotspots for SFs, which they said contribute to treatment failures and preventable deaths.
Prof. Adeyeye revealed that earlier enforcement actions led to the sealing of 1,370 illegal drug outlets in Kano. She stressed the importance of relocating to the CWC to ensure better regulation and safeguard public health.
Ahmed highlighted resistance from drug dealers over the years but noted the recent court ruling as a turning point. “The judgment that the open drug marketers should move to the Kano CWC is monumental because the control of drug distribution will be better regulated and prevalence of substandard medicines will be mitigated significantly,” he said.
The agencies reiterated their commitment to ensuring compliance and urged drug marketers to prioritize public health over personal interests.
