The Kanawa Pharmaceutical Coordinated Wholesale Centre (KPP-CWC) has seized substandard drugs and unwholesome foods worth over N1.3 billion in Kano State.
The Superintendent Pharmacist, Furera Ado, told newsmen in Kano on Thursday that special attention was being given to high-demand products such as antimalarials, antibiotics, and analgesics.
She revealed that analysis of the results so far showed that 40.3% of the total pharmaceutical products sampled failed the Active Ingredient Content test, indicating they were substandard.
Threat to public health
According to Ado, some of the confiscated drugs have been handed over to the state committee on drug abuse for destruction.
She warned that these products, if not intercepted, would have reached the public, potentially leading to treatment failures and loss of lives.
She added that as regulatory requisites, the entire centre was registered by a superintendent pharmacist, who supervises all professional activities.
“KPP will commence the interview process shortly to absorb them for further fortification and vitalization of activities in the centre.
“We have also recorded a huge success in terms of identifying and confiscating fake, falsified, adulterated, counterfeit, and expired drugs, and most importantly, nipping the spread of illicit drugs,” she said.
Investment in cold chain storage
Ado disclosed that KPP had acquired a WHO-Certified Cold Room from the U.S, accompanied by a 24-hour solar power to store thermolabile pharmaceutical products that would be denatured by high temperature.
“The cold room maintains temperature at +2 to +8 degrees centigrade perpetually without temperature excursion and could be reset to go below zero for vaccines,” Ado said.
More Insights
The Kanawa Pharmaceutical Coordinated Wholesale Centre (KPP-CWC) is managed by Kanawa Pharmaceutical Partners Limited (KPP), a special purpose vehicle registered by the federal government in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act 2022 (as amended).
It was established under the Federal-led Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform (PCPSR), first launched in 2003, as part of a nationwide initiative to restructure unregulated, chaotic open-market drug trading hubs in cities like Kano, Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba.
The centre was specifically created to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines, ensuring that wholesale pharmaceutical vendors operate under strict regulatory supervision within a centralised, purpose-built facility.
The KPP-CWC represents a transformational shift in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical landscape from disorganized, unsafe open-air drug markets to a well-regulated wholesale system that significantly enhances drug quality control in Kano and offers a model for national replication.
