The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring the availability of narcotics and controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing diversion to illicit use in Nigeria.
The resident media consultant, Sayo Akintola, in a statement made available to journalists Sunday said this is against the backdrop of the unprecedented outcry by the Provost of the Medical School, University of Lagos, Professor Adewale Anthonio Oke, that some surgeons and other medical professionals involved in the surgical operation of patients tend to be addicted to narcotic drugs used as painkillers for patients after surgery.
He stated that the issue was raised during the lunching of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), annual report availability supplement and precursor report 2023 by the agency on Thursday in Lagos.
He stated further that the DG admitted that narcotics and psychotropic substances are indispensable in the management of pains and other medical conditions due to the addictive potential of many of them.
“There is a need to balance the access and control of these substances.
“INCB, therefore reports the world drug situation yearly to inform governments of countries that are party to the International Conventions on drug control efforts,” he said.
