The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has moved to clarify concerns surrounding the charges imposed during recent enforcement operations at major open drug markets across the country, insisting that all fees are legally grounded and gazetted.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, the agency’s Director-General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye dismissed speculations that the sanctions levied against defaulters at the Onitsha, Aba, and Idumota drug markets were arbitrary. According to NAFDAC, the fines were issued in accordance with Federal Government-approved regulations.
She explained that two specific administrative charges were enforced during the operations. The first, an investigative fee of ₦5 million, was applied to traders found selling unregistered pharmaceutical products. However, following appeals and in line with a discretionary review, this fee was reduced to ₦200,000.
The second charge concerned violations of Good Storage and Distribution Practices, attracting an initial fine of ₦2 million, which was later reviewed downward to ₦500,000.
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