NAFDAC Demands Retraction And Apology From AIT Over Misleading Report.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has demanded an immediate retraction and public apology from Africa Independent Television (AIT) over a misleading report regarding its Director-General, Professor Moji Adeyeye.
In a statement, NAFDAC refuted claims made in AIT’s recent broadcast, which alleged that Professor Adeyeye accused the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) of involvement in counterfeit drug distribution. The agency described the report as a gross misrepresentation of the Director-General’s remarks during a press conference held on 1 March.
According to NAFDAC, Adeyeye’s statements provided a legal, regulatory, and historical perspective on the roles of NAFDAC and PCN in ensuring pharmaceutical safety. At no point did she accuse PCN of complicity in the circulation of fake medications. Instead, she highlighted regulatory challenges related to the oversight of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPMVs), which had been affected by past legal inconsistencies.
NAFDAC stressed that it fully aligns with PCN’s official position and condemned AIT’s misrepresentation, which it described as a distortion of facts. The agency warned that such misleading reports could undermine the collaborative efforts between NAFDAC and PCN in ensuring public health and regulatory compliance.
As a corrective measure, NAFDAC has demanded:
– An immediate public retraction of the misleading report.
– A public apology aired with the same prominence as the original report.
– A commitment to accurate and factual reporting in future coverage of NAFDAC’s activities.
The agency further warned that failure to comply would leave it with no choice but to escalate the matter through appropriate regulatory and legal channels.
