The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have agreed to strengthen their joint oversight of pharmaceutical and consumable products manufactured within the Free Trade Zones (FTZ).
A statement by the Head of Corporate Communications at NEPZA, Martins Odeh, indicated that the two regulatory agencies reached this decision during a courtesy visit by NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye to her counterpart, NEPZA Managing Director Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, in Abuja.
Prof. Adeyeye stated that her visit aimed to bolster cooperation and partnerships to help NAFDAC perform its regulatory functions, including overseeing the importation, exportation, production, and distribution of pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics by entities in free trade zones.
“I wish to, on behalf of my team of directors, express our appreciation to you and your team for this kind gesture in welcoming us,” she said. “Let me, however, state that we must view this meeting as a responsibility we have to the country to protect citizens from fake drugs and consumables that are infiltrating our markets from known and unknown destinations.”
She pointed out that NAFDAC has always insisted on conducting appropriate tests and ensuring compliance with standard specifications designated and approved by the council to effectively control the quality of regulated products across relevant industries in Nigeria.
Adeyeye emphasized the importance of the free trade zone scheme to the country’s industrialization and growth, adding that efforts are needed to streamline and monitor the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and the safety of food exported to the customs territory by entities within the zones.
“NEPZA and NAFDAC can fix this misalignment by jointly insisting on compliance. We can close this gap through excellent facility management and improved inspection across the production lines,” Adeyeye said.
On his part, Ogunyemi expressed delight at NAFDAC’s overture to address all alleged anomalies in the delivery of quality medical supplies and consumables from the free trade zones.
Ogunyemi explained that the scheme, with 63 zones and over 900 enterprises, is an economic gateway for the country’s development, but added that regulating the entities is not without challenges.
“We need a joint effort to address some of the irregularities. We will allow NAFDAC to perform its regulatory functions because the public’s health depends on it,” he said.
According to the NEPZA boss, the authority has always been at the vanguard of disallowing the zones to be used as blind spots for illicit activities.
The highlight of the meeting was the confirmation of an eight-member technical committee to further study the factors that hinder the seamless application of the agencies’ regulatory functions in the free trade zones.
