NAFDAC on Tuesday in Enugu urged Nigerians to join in the fight against fake and sub-standard foods, drugs and cosmetic products.
The acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni, made the call during an awareness campaign against fake and sub-standard food and drug products at the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Awgu near Enugu.
Oni, who was represented by a deputy director in the agency, Mr Fori Tatama, said activities of peddlers of fake and sub-standard drugs, food and cosmetics could lead to serious health problems and even death.
“We are calling on everybody to get involved; all hands must be on deck for us to eradicate fake and sub-standard drugs, foods and cosmetics in our society.
“Most especially, NAFDAC wants to get every youth involved in order to help shape the great future of the country against fake and sub-standard drugs, foods and cosmetic products, as well as those, who abuse normal drugs.
“This is why we are here to catch-them-young, even as they are about to start their service year,’’ she said.
Oni, however, urged corps members willing to engage in the production of food, drugs and cosmetics to seek NAFDAC’s guidance and approval.
She said: “NAFDAC is also in the forefront of promoting entrepreneurship and youths engaging in production, especially as it concerns NAFDAC-regulated products.
“The agency is also in the forefront of promoting ease-of-doing-business in the country.
“So, the agency and its staff are willing and ready to put young people, especially enterprising corps members to start-up on the right footing as they go into the production of food, drugs and cosmetics.’’
The NAFDAC boss also urged corps members to join the NAFDAC-NYSC Community Development Service.
According to her, this will encourage them to be “foot soldiers’’ of the agency in the various neighbhourhoods they are posted to on primary assignment
Oni also said the activities of the agency had so far resulted in the effective regulation and control of food, drugs, cosmetics and other regulated products.
Earlier, Dr Chinyere Duru, Head of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, NYSC, had said NYSC had always encouraged corps members to be self-reliant, thoughtful and innovative.
Duru, who is an assistant director at NYSC, applauded both agencies for the sensitisation and collaboration, saying the campaign would make his agency more effective throughout the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sensitisation was carried out simultaneously in all NYSC orientation camps in the South-East zone of the country.
The camps are located in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
100 pieces of plastic chairs worth N250,000 were donated by the agency to the NYSC orientation camp located in Awgu.
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