NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye in her Christmas and New Year goodwill message to Nigerians on Sunday, December 26,  decried the preponderance of performance-enhancing drugs otherwise known as “manpower” in the local parlance, in the Nigerian market.

She revealed that many male victims have died through use of the drugs which are not registered with the agency.

Warning that the agency would not relent in going after the peddlers of such dangerous drugs until they were brought to book for violating the regulations, Adeyeye also said that unbridled use of aphrodisiacs has a lot of implications in the entire body system and the use of the products can potentially affect the blood pressure of the body.

The NAFDAC DG who warned that aphrodisiacs could also interact with other drugs in the system explained that the liver is responsible for the breakdown of drugs while the byproduct of all waste goes down through the kidneys.

She said “If they were registered, the producers and peddlers alike would not be doing what they are doing in the supermarkets, social media platforms, and on the streets. Many people are ignorant of the possible damage that misuse of aphrodisiacs or the use of unregistered drugs could cause. When you have a disproportionate flow of blood to a particular part of the body and lasting longer than normal, they tend to disrupt the normal flow of the circulatory system. When these things are used, especially with some herbal medicines that don’t have dosage and professional prescription, it can lead to internal organ damage. It can hurt the liver and the kidneys, leading to an untimely death”

The Director-General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement released in Abuja today May 18.

“After a thorough evaluation, the NAFDAC vaccine committee concluded that the data on the vaccine were robust and met criteria for efficacy, safety and quality. The data also show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks thereby supporting the manufacturer’s recommended use. Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is the third vaccine recommended in Nigeria for preventing COVID-19. The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a single dose. Results from a clinical trial involving people in the United States, South Africa and Latin American countries found that Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine was effective at preventing COVID-19 in people from 18 years of age. The Phase III clinical trial involved over 44,000 people. Half received a single dose of the vaccine and half were given a placebo (a dummy injection). People did not know if they had been given Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine or placebo. The trial found a 67 per cent reduction in the number of symptomatic COVID-19 cases after 2 weeks in people who received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and nausea. Most of these side effects were mild to moderate in severity and lasted 1-2 days. In line with the NAFDAC’s Pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring plan for COVID-19 vaccines, the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine will be closely monitored and subject to several activities that apply specifically to COVID-19 vaccines. Manufacturers are required to provide monthly safety reports in addition to the regular updates generated by NAFDAC activities. Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine works by preparing the body to defend itself against COVID-19. Unopened vaccine vials can be stored and/or transported frozen at -25°C to – 15°C for up to 24 months and 3 months when stored at 2 to 8°C. The Ministry of Health and National Primary Health Care Development Agency will announce when the vaccine becomes available for use in Nigeria.”