In furtherance of their sustained efforts to frontally combat harmful and substandard goods in Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have inaugurated an Implementation Committee to enforce their 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU Implementation Committee was formally inaugurated during a visit by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, to NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, at the agency’s headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
Specifically, committee is tasked with translating the signed MoU into concrete, measurable outcomes aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s borders against dangerous imports from counterfeit pharmaceuticals to unregulated consumables.
Commenting on the importance of the joint committee to the agency’s mandate as it relates to tackling the menace of harmful drugs and illegal importation of fake products into the country, the Comptroller-General of Customs told the NAFDAC boss that “your consistent call for deeper collaboration is commendable. This committee will breathe life into our shared vision of protecting Nigerians from harmful and unregulated substances.”
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According to him, the Terms of Reference for the committee have already been developed, covering coordination of training, operational standardization, joint communication strategies, and robust monitoring frameworks.
Adeniyi maintained that the legal enforceability of the MoU had also been affirmed under Nigerian law.
In her remarks, Adeyeye expressed confidence in the committee’s potential, stressing that NAFDAC views the Nigeria Customs Service not just as a border enforcement agency, but as a strategic partner in the national fight against counterfeit and dangerous products.
The MoU Implementation Committee has its members from both agencies and it has as Chairman Mr. Olakunle Olaniran (NAFDAC) and the Vice Chairman as the Customs Service’s Legal Adviser, Barr. Smart Akande.
