Human rights lawyer urges President Tinubu to overhaul Nigeria’s regulatory system, warning that fake drugs and substandard consumer goods pose serious risks to public health.

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and unsafe consumer goods across Nigeria.

Adeyanju, Esq., said the situation had exposed Nigerians to avoidable health risks and raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s regulatory agencies.

In a statement, the lawyer expressed particular concern over what he described as an alarming rise in kidney disease among middle-aged Nigerians, linking the development to exposure to dangerous medicines and other products circulating in the country.

He also raised concerns about the manner in which some medicines and consumer products are displayed and sold in open markets, where they may be exposed to harsh environmental conditions before reaching consumers.

According to Adeyanju, the continued circulation of such products points to what he described as a failure of regulatory oversight and enforcement.

He argued that Nigerians should not be subjected to preventable health risks arising from products that regulatory authorities are expected to monitor and control.

Against this backdrop, Adeyanju called for the immediate removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, and the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke.

He also urged the Federal Government to review the leadership of other regulatory agencies whose operations, in his view, have failed to adequately protect consumers.

Adeyanju called for the appointment of what he described as competent leadership capable of strengthening enforcement and restoring confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory system.

He further advocated a comprehensive review of the country’s regulatory architecture, saying stronger coordination and enforcement were necessary to protect Nigerians from counterfeit medicines, substandard products and other potentially harmful goods.

The lawyer’s demands come amid continuing public concerns over access to safe medicines and the quality of consumer products in Nigeria.

Adeyanju maintained that protecting public health should be treated as a priority and that regulatory institutions must be equipped and held accountable for ensuring that products placed on the Nigerian market meet required safety and quality standards.

He urged the Tinubu administration to take urgent steps to address the situation, warning that failure to strengthen regulatory enforcement could leave more Nigerians vulnerable to avoidable health consequences.