Key Takeaways
- The Nigerian Senate has advanced a new bill to overhaul the legal framework against counterfeit medical products, fake drugs, and unwholesome processed foods.
- The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Umar Suleiman, aims to repeal the outdated Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act of 2004.
- It introduces significantly stiffer penalties, including up to 15 years imprisonment and substantial fines, for offenders.
- The bill grants the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) enhanced powers, including deploying modern product-tracking technologies and establishing enforcement task forces.
- It criminalizes the entire chain of counterfeit operations, from production and importation to distribution, sale, and even possession of related materials.
- The legislation also prohibits the sale and hawking of drugs in unauthorized locations and grants exclusive jurisdiction to the Federal High Court for accelerated prosecution.
Abuja, Nigeria – In a decisive move to safeguard public health, the Nigerian Senate has successfully passed for a second reading.