PRESS BRIEF
PROF MOJISOLA CHRISTIANAH ADEYEYE, DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL (NAFDAC)
AND
THE REGISTRAR, PHARM IBRAHIM BABASHEHU AHMED, PHARMACY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA
ON
RELOCATION OF OPEN DRUG MARKETERS TO COORDINATED WHOLESALE CENTRE (CWC) IN KANO:
TO MAKE NIGERIANS HEALTHIER: CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST SUBSTANDARD AND FALSIFIED MEDICINES (SFS)
STATUS REPORT
The chaotic drug distribution system in Nigeria and open drug markets have been a sore point to drug regulatory Agencies, especially to NAFDAC. This disorderly chain of movement of medicine in the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the final consumer is inimical to the efficacy of pharmaceutical products and is the primary cause of Substandard and Falsified (SF) medicines in circulation. The consequence of this is treatment failure or even deaths. Therefore, to make Nigerians healthier and reduce mortality, NAFDAC and our sister Agency, PCN, must continue to fight against SFs.
This fight started decades ago when the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform (PCPSR), constituted in 2003 developed strategies towards the sanitization of the drug distribution system in Nigeria. The Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWC) ,where the open marketers can be relocated for proper monitoring, is a product of the PCPSR. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, is one of the architects of CWC and in full support of the Centres.
The PCPSR recommended the development of National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) as a key strategy to coordinate the drug distribution sub-sector and all operators in the open drug markets in Kano, Lagos, Onitsha and Aba were given December 2018 as deadline by the then Minister of Health to relocate to CWC, Prof Isaac Adewole.
The NDDG gives a clear mandate to the regulatory Agencies, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure its full implementation and compliance by all concerned (stakeholders).
REGISTRAR
The CWC in Kano was the first to be built as part of ensuring proper regulation of drug distribution and sale in Nigeria, and mitigation of SFs. NAFDAC and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) are the two regulatory agencies mandated to regulate the distribution and sale of drugs in the country. The two agencies have offices in the newly built CWC Centre in Kano. The mandate of NAFDAC is to control and regulate the importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals, packaged water and detergents. PCN is charged with regulating pharmacy practice sites (where some of NAFDAC’s regulated products are sold) and the practitioners, including the patent and proprietary medicine vendors that use the open drug markets to sell medicines.
Over the years, the medicine dealers in Kano have resisted all attempts by concerned regulatory authorities to relocate their pharmaceutical businesses from the open drug markets in Mai Karami Plaza, Niger Street, Malam Kato and Sabon Gari areas of Kano to the Coordinated Wholesale Centres in Dangwauro area of the state. The dealers even filed a suit in court seeking to reject relocation to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre.
DIRECTOR GENERAL
A landmark judgement was made by Justice Simon Amobeda in Kano Federal High Court on February 16, 2024, who ordered the open drug marketers in Kano to relocate their stores to Dangwauro Coordinated Wholesale Center (CWC), Zaria Road, Kano.This is in step with the PCN that regulates the practice sites and the practioneres, and with NAFDAC mandate of regulating and controlling the distribution, sale and use of drugs to ensure that the quality, safety and efficacy are maintained.
Sequel to this court ruling the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in conjunction with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) on 17th and 18th of February 2024 embarked on an enforcement action to cause the relocation of the medicine dealers from the open drug markets of Sabon Gari, Malam Kato and Mai Karaimi to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre.
A total of one thousand three hundred and seventy (1,370) wholesale medicine outlets and packing stores were sealed in the three open drug markets. The owners of these outlets are to from Monday 19th February 2024 report to the offices of NAFDAC and PCN, at the Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro area of Kano to arrange for the relocation of their businesses to the Centre.
REGISTRAR
The judgement 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. The outcome will be a healthier population, reduction of pain to the consumer. Since the beginnng of my tenure in 2017, the drive to mitigate SFs is one of the pillars of my administration, and the efforts that have been made led NAFDAC to the attainment of Maturity Level 3 of both NAFDAC and PCN. NAFDAC had seven modules while PCN had one module (Site License) of the WHO Global Benchmarking (GBT).
The two agencies are working together to maintain the Maturity Level 3 while working toward Level 4. The beneficiaries of this goal is the population. A healthier nation is a wealthier nation.
The continued fight against SFs to make our citizens healthier has been blessed by the judgement by Justice Amobeda. It is most significant for both NAFDAC and PCN because it shows a resolve of the two Agencies to get rid of SFs in our markets and sets a good pathway toward attainment of Maturity Level 4.
Justice Amobeda judgement has set the precedence that open drug marketers in other three big cities, where there is large trading of medicines – Lagos, Onitsha and Aba – should be ready to move into the CWCs in the respective cities as soon as such facilities are built.
The proposed Drug Market at Dalar Gyada by the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Kano cannot happen because according to the PCN mandate, legislated by ACT…..
In August 2024, an attempt was made to commission the market but the Director, Investigation and Enforcement (Chairman of Federal Task Force), Mr. Mohammed Shaba had meetings with several stakeholders.
REGISTRAR
During the meeting with the State Government a copy of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act C34 was presented and explained in detail, in addition to the following discussion with the Chief of Staff.
- that the planned activity falls under the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That Pharmacy Council of Nigeria is the only regulatory body with the exclusive right to grant licence for the operation of any facility on drugs and poisons. This means only the Federal Government can legislate on matters relating to premises and facilities on drugs and poisons.
- The plan to commission a new Drug Market is illegal and contradicts separation of responsibility as enshrined in the constitution.
DIRECTOR GENERAL
- that the National Drug Distribution policy approves only one Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) for Distributors and Wholesalers of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Products under the direct supervision of PCN for the issuance of requisite licenses and NAFDAC for the regulatory control of the products in the facility in the North as situated in Kano. The remaining three are in Abia, Anambra and Lagos. This was the main reason behind the closure of the chaotic three illegal Drug Markets of Sabon Gari, Mallam Kato and Mai Karama Plaza in Kano in February early this year.
- the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health took exception to the use of his name on the Invitation Card for commissioning of an illegal Drug facility.
Having the CWCs in the different cities is also part of the activities of the Federal Task Force that is headquartered in NAFDAC but operationalized in collaboration with PCN in the States. The CMHSW is working with state governors and governments to join hands with NAFDAC and PCN as part of the Federal Task force to support the building of the CWCs in other cities.
The medicine distributors in Kano and other cities should see this move to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre as a positive move for safeguarding public health and as part of efforts to continue the fight against Substandard and Falsified medicines and protect the health of the masses.
Removing SFs from the circulation will make Nigerians healthier and since only healthy bodies can contribute positively to the economy, it will make Nigerians wealthier and the economy better.
Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, FAS
Director General/CEO
AND
Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed
Registrar, PCN
November 26, 2024
