Kano/Jigawa Customs Hands Over Over 580,000 Unregistered Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC
In line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, aimed at enhancing revenue generation, curbing smuggling, and strengthening stakeholder collaboration through the pillars of Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command, has handed over more than 580,000 unregistered pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The handover ceremony took place at the Customs House, Bompai, Kano, where the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Usman Adamu, said the seizure was part of the Command’s commitment to protecting public health by preventing uncertified medicines from entering the Nigerian market.
According to Adamu, the pharmaceutical products were intercepted on June 9, 2026, at the SAHCO Shed of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport following an intelligence-driven operation by officers of the Command.
He explained that the consignments were subsequently subjected to a joint examination by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and NAFDAC, which confirmed that the products lacked the mandatory registration and certification required for importation and distribution in Nigeria.
The seized items comprised 575,440 tablets of various medicaments, 5,415 injections, 1,075 bottles of eye drops, and 243 inhaler canisters.
Adamu said the interception reflects the Service’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health while strengthening inter-agency collaboration in the fight against the importation of illicit and uncertified pharmaceutical products.
“The products were found to be unregistered and therefore not approved for circulation in Nigeria. Their interception forms part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and well-being of Nigerians,” he said.
The Acting Area Controller warned importers and distributors involved in the illegal importation of pharmaceutical products to desist from such activities, stressing that the Command would continue to intensify surveillance, intelligence gathering, and enforcement operations against offenders.
Receiving the items on behalf of NAFDAC, the agency’s Assistant Director, Ports Inspection Directorate, Kano, Azik Kanadi, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the successful interception, describing it as a significant contribution to protecting Nigerians from potentially harmful and unregulated medicines.
Kanadi cautioned importers against bringing unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country, noting that medicines which have not undergone the required regulatory evaluation pose serious health risks to consumers.
He reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to sustaining its collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies to prevent the circulation of unsafe medicines and ensure that only approved pharmaceutical products are available in the Nigerian market.
