Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of fake and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
The lawyer also called for the removal of NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, over what he described as failures in regulation.
Adeyanju made the demands in a statement issued in Abuja, warning that Nigerians were increasingly exposed to potentially unsafe medicines and consumer products.
He said the situation required urgent intervention from the Federal Government as well as a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s regulatory system.
Adeyanju alleged that NAFDAC appeared incapable of effectively controlling the circulation of fake and substandard products.
He also questioned the effectiveness of SON and other agencies charged with protecting consumers.
The activist expressed particular concern over reports of medicines being sold openly in wholesale quantities and exposed to excessive heat.
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“No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise,” he warned.
Adeyanju said the government must take stronger steps to protect citizens and ensure that regulatory agencies effectively perform their statutory responsibilities.
He called on Tinubu to remove the heads of agencies he believes have failed to provide adequate protection and replace them with competent leadership.
“The President must be alive to his responsibility and act decisively by removing the Director-General of NAFDAC and the heads of other failed regulatory agencies, including SON,” he said.
He further urged the Federal Government to undertake a comprehensive review of its regulatory framework, particularly in the areas of monitoring, enforcement and consumer protection.
Adeyanju said the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard products had reached a level that warranted treatment as a national emergency.
He insisted that government action was needed to prevent consumers from being exposed to potentially harmful products.
“Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for regulatory failure,” he said.
His comments come amid continuing enforcement efforts by NAFDAC against counterfeit and unwholesome regulated products, alongside renewed public concerns over product safety in Nigerian markets.