February 23, 2025
By Idris Buba
The Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has cried out to the Federal Government to assist the state in fighting infiltration of globally banned drugs in Onitsha markets.
Governor Soludo, made the call in a statement on Sunday, when he visited a market known as “Ọgbọ Ogwu” and the adjoining market in Onitsha.
He maintained that, as the biggest open drug market in Africa, it was not surprising that federal agencies and regulatory bodies would visit the market from time to time, to check the sale of fake, counterfeit and controlled drugs as well as enforce standards.
Soludo, however, wondered why other commodity markets close to the drug market in Onitsha had were shutdown.
“Away from the media sensation created by a few political actors, the leadership of the plumbing materials market—which was shut down alongside the drug market—confirmed to me that the discoveries made by regulators in some shops within the market were both shocking and disturbing,” he stated.
The governor revealed that cartons of counterfeit and controlled drugs, many of which have been banned globally were discovered within the closed shops.
“How these drugs—banned both globally and locally—are still being manufactured in India, passing through our various ports (both sea and air), and eventually finding their way to our local drug markets remains a question only the relevant authorities can answer,” he added.
He emphasized that while stakeholders must work to rid Nigeria of fake and counterfeit drugs, “it is important for the Federal Government to tighten the noose on the supply end of the value chain.”
The governor directed that action be expedited based on the ongoing search for illegal drugs, which began a few days ago.
The directive is to ensure that in less than 10 days the traders at the plumbing materials market could be allowed to reopen and resume their legitimate businesses.
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“As a government, we are already building a coordinated wholesale drug centre in Oba, Idemili South LGA, which will accommodate the new and standardized Ogbo Ogwu Market. This is our contribution to ending the current chaotic market environment where fake and counterfeit drugs thrive.”
The governor assured that he would further solidify Onitsha’s status as the largest trading hub in Africa through appropriate regulations and development.
Governor Soludo’s visit and directive, at the market, follows the revelation made by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, about three months ago, that open-drug markets in cities such as Kano, Aba, Onitsha, and Lagos have been identified as hubs for sale of counterfeit and controlled drugs that are locally and globally banned.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had issued warnings against such marketers in Abuja and revealed that open-drug markets in these cities are posing serious public health risks to Nigerians.
