The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to help combat counterfeit medical products by using its new verification tool, the Greenbook app.
NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye made the appeal on Wednesday, March 12, at the opening of a two-day workshop in Port Harcourt focused on the Greenbook, traceability project, and paediatric policy.
Adeyeye, represented by Fraden Bitrus, Director of NAFDAC’s Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate, explained that the Greenbook serves as a comprehensive database of registered drug products in Nigeria.
The app, she noted, was developed to counter the sophisticated methods used in producing and distributing fake medicines.
“Counterfeiters have become more sophisticated in advancing their trade. Therefore, the agency is committed to using technology and modern methods to mitigate their activities, making stakeholder sensitisation essential,” she said.
She added that the Greenbook allows users to check a product’s legitimacy by entering its name, brand, or registration number. If listed in the database, the product is NAFDAC-approved and safe for use.
Nigeria is the first country in Africa and the second in the world to implement this technology, Adeyeye revealed.
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She urged healthcare stakeholders to support efforts to eliminate substandard medical products and ensure Nigerians have access to safe and effective medicines.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to working with NAFDAC to tackle counterfeit drugs. Represented by Quanta Dappa, the state’s Coordinator for Drug and Substance Abuse Control, Oreh commended the agency’s efforts.
“We are very pleased with the commitment of the NAFDAC DG and her team in eliminating these unscrupulous elements from our society,” she said.
She noted that Rivers State has a task force dedicated to cracking down on fake drugs, with NAFDAC playing a key role in its operations.
Oligbu Chukwuma, NAFDAC’s South-South Zonal Director, assured that state coordinators were actively working to curb the spread of counterfeit drugs.
“I visit the states, and they submit monthly reports on their activities, supported with evidence. This is all part of the anti-counterfeit measures in place. As you can see, there is zero tolerance for counterfeit drugs in Nigeria,” he said.
The Greenbook app is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play Store via greenbook.nafdac.gov.ng.