- Agency Report
The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework against counterfeit medical products, fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods.
Leading the debate, the sponsor, Sen. Sadiq Suleiman (APC-Kwara North), said the bill sought to repeal the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Suleiman said that the proposed bill also sought to prohibit the use of toxic substances to quicken the natural process to maturity of fruits and to review penalty provisions for hawking drugs, poison and other food products.
He noted that the bill would establish a more comprehensive legal framework to regulate counterfeit medical products, fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods.
Suleiman said that every Nigerian deserved genuine, safe and effective medicines, lamenting that criminal networks had continued to profit from counterfeit products at the expense of innocent lives.
According to him, counterfeit medicines contribute to infant deaths, treatment failures, antimicrobial resistance, worsening chronic illnesses and declining public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
The lawmaker added that adulterated cosmetics, contaminated packaged water and unwholesome processed foods had exposed millions of Nigerians to preventable diseases, disabilities and avoidable deaths on daily basis.
He acknowledged the efforts by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and other stakeholders.
Suleiman, however, noted that criminal networks had become increasingly sophisticated, making it imperative to modernise existing legislation and strengthen enforcement mechanisms against counterfeit products.
The senator said that the bill also prohibited hawking and sales of medicines in open markets, motor parks, roadside stalls, unlicensed premises and illegal online platforms.
He said that offenders would face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, substantial fines and mandatory compensation where counterfeit products caused death or grievous bodily harm.
The senator said that the bill empowered courts to order asset forfeiture, seize offending premises and strengthen criminal prosecution through accelerated trials and recognition of electronic evidence.
He also proposed retaining NAFDAC as the principal enforcement authority, while establishing national and state task forces to improve intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement.
“Counterfeit medicines have become silent weapons of mass destruction. They destroy lives, weaken healthcare delivery and undermine public confidence in genuine pharmaceutical products,” he said.
Contributing, Sen. Samson Ekong (APC-Akwa Ibom South) described the bill as timely, saying victims of counterfeit medicines often ended up enriching casket makers through preventable deaths.
“Health is wealth. The senate must send a clear signal that these abuses must stop and appropriate penalties must be enforced,” Ekong said.
Also, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo North) said fake drugs had become widespread across urban and rural communities, contributing significantly to kidney diseases and other organ failures.
“We are all potential victims of fake drugs. This legislation deserves the support of every senator because it concerns every Nigerian family,” he added.
Also speaking, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, supported the bill’s objectives but urged lawmakers to establish a clear nexus with the NAFDAC Act to avoid duplicating existing responsibilities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senate thereafter passed the bill for a second reading in a voice vote.
After deliberations, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for public hearing. NAN