News

NAFDAC Evolves Five-Year Plan For Safe Medicine

Published

6 years ago

September 18, 2019

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has evolved a five-year plan to boost effective, safe and structured medicine supply chain toward protecting citizen’s health.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, made the disclosure yesterday at the ongoing 2nd African GS1 Healthcare Conference in Lagos.
Theme of the three days conference is: “Track and Trace for Access to Safe Medicine.”
Our correspondent reports that track and trace in the pharmaceutical supply chain is the process of determining a drug’s current and past locations.
When track and trace is correctly implemented, a drug can be tracked throughout the supply chain and trace back up the supply chain upon return or recall.
Adeyeye said that Nigeria was operating an open market medicine distribution system which had led to counterfeit and falsified medicines in its distribution network.
She said that the agency had developed a track and trace platform to monitor drugs through the distribution chain so as to maintain quality, standards and avoid infiltration of the system by unregistered or substandard products.
Adeyeye said that NAFDAC partnered Global Standards 1 (GS1) and other global partners to improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of the medicine supply and distribution chains in the country.
“With track and trace system, we would be able to trace medicines across the supply chain, that is from manufacturers to distributors, the sellers and finally to the patients.
“Implementation of the GS1 standards in Nigeria will tremendously advance our regulatory efficiency as we strive to reduce the scourge of substandard and falsified medicines.
“This will probably be one of the greatest legacies to bequeath to the future Nigeria and Africa, because this will reduce the number of people that died from substandard and falsified medicines,” she said.
To achieve the pharmaceutical traceability vision, Adeyeye said that the agency would establish a governance structure, strengthen regulatory environment and create efficiencies.
Others are: build and sustain technology to support interoperability and enable use of standard to authenticate what was dispensed to end users.
She said that the agency was optimistic of achieving a 70-per cent success in the medicine supply chain after the five years target.
Also, Mr Tunde Odunlami, Chief Executive Officer, GS1 Nigeria, said that safe medicine could be a reality for Africa, if procedures and processes were effectively implemented.
Odunlami said that track and trace system in healthcare would ensure that more lives were saved as patients gets the right medicine.
He said that the new system would sanitise the drugs and food distribution in Nigeria and improve the healthcare indices.

News

HoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries

Published

13 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Head of Service (HoS) of Rivers State, Dr. Mrs. Inyingi S. I. Brown, has commended Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, for approving befitting accommodation for Permanent Secretaries in the state.

This commendation was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

According to the Head of Service, Governor Fubara has continued to demonstrate uncommon commitment to the welfare of civil servants in Rivers State, stressing that such gestures underscore his people-oriented leadership style. She urged civil servants across the state to remain supportive of the governor’s administration in order to sustain good governance and effective public service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Brown congratulated Governor Fubara on the occasion of his 51st birthday, describing him as “a Governor who leads by serving.”

She further praised the governor’s service-driven and people-centred leadership approach, noting that it has significantly contributed to institutional stability and improved efficiency within the state’s public service. Special appreciation was expressed for the approval of a befitting accommodation complex for Permanent Secretaries, which she said reflects the governor’s commitment to staff welfare and enhanced productivity.

As part of activities to mark the governor’s birthday, the Body of Permanent Secretaries announced the sponsorship of 329 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for indigent students across the state.

A breakdown of the initiative shows that 319 forms will be distributed across the 319 political wards in Rivers State, while five forms are allocated to non-indigenes and five forms to persons living with disabilities.

Interested applicants are advised to contact the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, for further details.

The Body of Permanent Secretaries wished Governor Fubara continued good health, divine wisdom, and greater accomplishments in his service to the people of Rivers State.

By John Bibor

News

Allegation of Disrespect to President Tinubu Unfounded — Rivers Government

Published

14 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to a statement credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), purportedly authored by one Bestman Innocent Amadi, alleging that the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, removed the official portrait of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from the Government House, Port Harcourt.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Government wishes to categorically state that there is no policy, directive, or intention on the part of the government or the Governor that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government.

On the contrary, the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, currently enjoys a robust, cordial, and collaborative relationship with the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Renewed Hope Agenda—a partnership that is already yielding positive and tangible benefits for the people of Rivers State.

Consequently, the insinuation that the Governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” is misleading, irresponsible, inflammatory, and entirely unsupported by verifiable facts, and should therefore be disregarded by the public.

It is regrettable that a body expected to promote youth unity, peace, and responsible engagement would resort to incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated claims capable of overheating the polity at a time when Rivers State requires calm, dialogue, and mature leadership.

The Rivers State Government therefore calls on well-meaning members of the public, particularly its esteemed and hardworking youths, to disregard and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups bent on advancing divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Rivers State belongs to all of us. Political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, peace, and the collective pursuit of progress.

Members of the public are further urged to remain vigilant and avoid lending credence to inflammatory statements or the activities of fifth columnists pursuing dubious agendas aimed at sowing discord.

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News

Rivers Government Dismisses Allegations of Disrespect to President Tinubu

Published

14 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has dismissed as unfounded and misleading allegations that Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara removed the official portrait of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the Government House in Port Harcourt.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state government reacted to claims credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), describing the allegation as false, irresponsible, and unsupported by any verifiable facts.

The government clarified that it has no policy, directive, or intention that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government. It emphasized that Governor Fubara maintains a cordial, respectful, and collaborative relationship with President Tinubu and the Federal Government.

According to the statement, the relationship between Rivers State and the Federal Government has grown stronger under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with tangible benefits and positive impacts already being felt by residents of the state.

The Rivers State Government described insinuations that the governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” as deliberately provocative, noting that such claims are capable of misleading the public and unnecessarily heating up the polity.

It further expressed concern that an organization expected to promote youth unity and peace would engage in what it termed incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated accusations at a time when the state requires calm, dialogue, and responsible leadership.

The government called on well-meaning members of the public, especially the youths of Rivers State, to disregard the claims and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups spreading divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Reaffirming its commitment to peace, unity, and progress, the state government stressed that political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, and the collective interest of the people.

Members of the public were also urged to remain vigilant and not give attention to inflammatory statements or individuals described as fifth columnists bent on causing division within the state.