By Fatima Ndagi
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has generated over ₦2.5 billion in fines from sweeping enforcement actions against illicit drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba—but says it’s struggling to sustain operations due to federal revenue restrictions.
Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control on Tuesday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed that the crackdown involved over 1,300 security personnel and targeted widespread sale of fake, expired, and banned substances including Tramadol.
Adeyeye said ₦996 million was spent directly on enforcement, ₦159 million came from a donor loan, and ₦1.175 billion went to regulatory operations—leaving just ₦206 million.
“These weren’t punitive actions,” she stressed. “The goal was compliance with Good Distribution and Storage Practices. Fines were lowered in some cases from ₦2 million to ₦500,000 to encourage cooperation.”
However, despite these gains, Adeyeye warned lawmakers that NAFDAC’s finances were being crippled by sweeping deductions from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), which classifies the agency as a revenue generator. According to the agency’s finance director, Adeniji Nma, 50% of NAFDAC’s income was deducted in 2024—and that figure has jumped to 75% in 2025.
“Out of ₦19 billion in our account last December, ₦9 billion was swept. We were left with ₦4.5 billion to operate,” Adeyeye said.
Lawmakers expressed concern over NAFDAC’s different approach in Kano, where no fines were issued during a court-mandated relocation of traders to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC). Adeyeye said the urgency of the court order and security threats—one of which nearly led to the killing of a legal officer—made enforcement challenging.
“We bought padlocks bigger than theirs to seal their shops. They only reopened after agreeing to relocate,” she recalled. “No charges were levied in Kano due to the court’s urgency and the state’s volatile environment.”
NAFDAC emphasized that Kano is the only state with a fully operational CWC, making southern states more prone to regulatory fines due to lack of infrastructure.
Committee Chair Hon. Regina Akume, however, was unsatisfied with the agency’s incomplete report. She ordered NAFDAC to return with a detailed breakdown of funds collected and disbursed across each raid location.