The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to impose tougher penalties on individuals and organisations involved in the production and sale of fake drugs, counterfeit medical products and unsafe processed foods.
The proposed legislation aims to replace the existing law with a stronger legal framework to tackle the growing threat posed by counterfeit medicines, adulterated products and unwholesome foods across Nigeria.
Leading the debate, Senator Umar Sadiq said the current law is no longer adequate due to advances in technology, online trading, cross-border smuggling and the activities of organised criminal networks.
If passed into law, the bill will criminalise the production, importation, distribution, sale, transportation and possession of fake drugs and counterfeit medical products.
It also proposes up to 15 years imprisonment for serious offences, alongside heavy fines, compensation for victims and sanctions against companies and directors found guilty.
The bill further seeks to empower NAFDAC to deploy modern product tracking technology, strengthen surveillance at ports, inspect facilities, seize counterfeit products, arrest suspects and seal offending premises.
Lawmakers described the proposed legislation as a major step toward protecting Nigerians from preventable deaths linked to fake medicines and restoring confidence in the country’s healthcare system.
“Fake medicines are instruments of death,” Senator Adams Oshiomhole said while urging lawmakers to support tougher penalties.
Some senators, however, called for further clarification on possible overlaps between the proposed bill and the existing NAFDAC Act, recommending wider consultations with stakeholders before its final passage.
Following debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Health, directing it to submit its report within four weeks.
Source: Nigerian Senate
