The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired medicines and medical consumables valued at over ₦59 million in Rivers State.
The destruction exercise was carried out on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Igwuruta dumpsite along the Eneka-Igwuruta Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The products were imported from the United States in a 40-foot container and intercepted by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, working with NAFDAC and other government agencies, at the Port Harcourt Area I Command, Shed III.
According to the Nigeria Customs Service, the container, numbered MRSU3199206 with Customs number C. No. 354, had a Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of over ₦59 million. It contained 606 cartons of Ibuprofen capsules, 173 cartons of Donepezil Hydrochloride tablets, 266 cartons of Subvenite (Lamotrigine) tablets and 103 cartons of Lansoprazole delayed-release capsules, among other pharmaceutical products.
Customs said the products were intercepted on June 22, 2026, during a joint examination involving officers of the Port Harcourt Area I Command, NAFDAC and other government agencies. The consignment was subsequently handed over to NAFDAC for regulatory action on July 29, 2026.
Speaking during the destruction exercise, NAFDAC South-South Zonal Director, Chukwuma Oligbu, said the action was part of the agency’s efforts to prevent expired and unsuitable medical products from entering circulation.
Oligbu said donated medicines remained important to healthcare delivery, particularly for vulnerable populations, but stressed that such donations must be properly planned and supplied with adequate shelf life to allow their distribution and use before expiry.
He warned that expired medicines could be diverted or reintroduced into circulation, posing risks to patients and undermining confidence in the healthcare system.
The Customs Area Controller for the Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, said the interception prevented potentially harmful medicines from reaching the Nigerian market.
The destruction exercise was supported by the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Army.
Oligbu commended the Customs Service and other stakeholders for their cooperation, saying NAFDAC would continue to ensure that unsafe, expired and non-compliant medical products are removed from circulation.
