The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reopened the Ọgbọ Ọgwụ market in Onitsha, Anambra State, following weeks of closure over the sale of substandard and counterfeit drugs.
The reopening was announced today by the South-East Director of NAFDAC, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, on behalf of the agency’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, after a meeting with Anambra State government officials led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, market leaders, and the media at the market premises.
Dr. Iluyomade said the decision to reopen the market followed the intervention of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and a signed agreement by the market leaders to desist from the sale of fake, expired, and substandard products.
He revealed that during the three-week enforcement exercise, the agency confiscated drugs banned since 2007 and sealed 4,000 shops for various offences. He assured that the reopened market would still undergo continuous surveillance, while the sealed shops would only reopen after proper profiling.
In his remarks, Dr. Obidike, on behalf of the Governor, commended NAFDAC for its efforts and urged traders to adhere strictly to the agreement reached with the agency to maintain quality standards.
