A Professor of Biochemistry, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo has expressed concern over his observed attention of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) which is now less on food and more on drugs.
The former Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University expressed this concern in a post on his facebook page Monday.
Prof. Onimawo wondered if NAFDAC was not set up to regulate both food and drugs as the name implies;
“I have a question: is NAFDAC an agency only for pharmaceutical products? Does the name not show that it is for food and drug? Where is the regulation of the food component?”; He asked
Emphasizing the importance of food to health as it is of drugs, he opined that another agency be set up to regulate the manufacturing, importation and sales of food. Part of the questions is whether the headship of the agency which has been occupied by Pharmacists has any role to play in the attention on pharmaceutical products and neglecting the food component of its mandate. He therefore expressed an urgent need to look into the activities of NAFDAC as they relate to food regulation.
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He said; “If it is only for drugs as it has shown over the years, I am of the opinion that another agency that will regulate food products be set up. Is it because the past DGs have been pharmacists. There is urgent need to take a look at the activities of NAFDAC as they relate to food. Food play(s) pivotal role in health. Let food be your medicine -part of the saying of the Ancient Physician Hippocrates.
“All manners of food products are in the market creating very serious dangers to human health.”
While reacting, a Facebook user by name Ada Ejiofor Olatunbosun agreed with Prof Onimawo. The comment reads:
“Thank you, Prof., I strongly agree with you, food regulation is just as important as drug regulation. Many health challenges today, from hypertension to diabetes, are linked to unsafe and poorly regulated foods. Strengthening NAFDAC’s food arm or creating a specialized agency for food is urgent if we truly want to protect public health. Unsafe food can be poison.”
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a Nigerian government agency established in 1993. Its major function is to ensure the safety and quality of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and packaged water in Nigeria.
Over the years, NAFDAC has been led by different Directors-General as follows who all are pharmacists:
Professor Gabriel Ediale Osuide, 1994 – 2000
Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili, 2001–2008
Dr. Paul Baba Orhii, 2009 – 2016
Mrs. Yetunde Oni, 2016 – 2017
Mr. Ademola Andrew Magbojuri, 2017 (briefly)
Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, 2017 – Present
