The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ramped up its efforts to combat counterfeit medicines by appointing Cotecna Inspection Services as its Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) agent in India.
This new development forms part of the agency’s continued crackdown on substandard and falsified drugs, particularly from India and China.
“We are committed to ensuring that substandard and counterfeit medicines do not enter Nigeria,” said NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye. “This move is a vital step in strengthening our regulatory oversight, and Cotecna’s appointment adds to our arsenal in the fight against fake medicines.”
The CRIA scheme, which operates in India and China, verifies product quality, packaging, labeling, and conducts random testing of drugs before they are exported to Nigeria.
NAFDAC has already strengthened its inspection processes, including the introduction of the Ports Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency at ports.
“We want to know what happens to the medicines rejected in India,” Adeyeye further emphasized, cautioning against the reintroduction of rejected consignments into Nigeria. “We will collaborate with the Indian government to ensure such products do not find their way back into the country.”
Cotecna, the newest CRIA agent, joins other agents working to safeguard the public from harmful medicines, with random testing and verification at the forefront of their mandate.
As part of the ongoing fight, NAFDAC also renewed contracts with some CRIA agents and removed others to ensure compliance with the stringent quality standards.
This initiative is expected to significantly reduce the importation of substandard drugs, further protecting Nigerian consumers from the dangers posed by fake medications.