Lagos: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged marketing authorisation holders to submit their products to the agency for visibility on the agency’s Greenbook app. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the call at a two-day Sensitisation and Awareness Workshop on Greenbook, Traceability Project and Paediatric Policy in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Greenbook app was officially inaugurated by the agency in 2024, to help Nigerians verify the authenticity of medical products and fight against counterfeit drugs. Adeyeye, represented by NAFDAC’s Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Mr. Bitrus Fraden, said the submission would help the agency to update its database on the Greenbook App.
She stated that many marketing authorisation holders have yet to provide the necessary information about their products. This delay has resulted in some products being registered but not visible on the Greenbook. The agency called on all manufacturers and marketing authorisation holders to provide the required information, enabling consumers to identify fake or substandard products through the Greenbook app.
The workshop aimed to sensitise stakeholders to the Greenbook, traceability project, and paediatric policy to ensure that both regulator and the regulated were aligned in combating fake medical products. The traceability framework is designed to track products along the supply chain, while the Paediatric Regulation 2024 addresses the special medical needs of children. With this technology, stakeholders can detect and prevent the entry of fake products into the supply chain.
NAFDAC highlighted that Nigeria, like other Low and Middle-Income Countries, faces challenges with substandard and falsified products. These products, often produced by unscrupulous businessmen and international collaborators, represent significant harm to consumers. The agency has implemented measures such as consumer safety publications, counterfeit product reports in daily newspapers, and the Shine Your Eyes programme on national TV to combat these issues.
Adeyeye emphasized that counterfeiters have become more sophisticated, necessitating the adoption of modern technologies to counter their activities. She urged all stakeholders in the healthcare sector to support the agency’s efforts to ensure the consumption of safe and effective medical products for Nigerians.
Additionally, NAFDAC’s Coordinator for the South-West Zone, Mrs. Rose Ajayi, noted that the workshop was designed to update stakeholders on the agency’s policies aimed at combating counterfeit and falsified drugs. The event saw participation from various stakeholders, including representatives from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Nurses, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria.
