Quacks in laboratories pose public health risks — IPAN Registrar

The integrity of laboratory analysis is a cornerstone of public health and safety, and the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) is sounding a critical alarm regarding the pervasive threat posed by unqualified practitioners. Aliyu Angara, the Registrar of IPAN, emphasized that the activities of these 'quacks' undermine the assurance of safety for essential products like drugs, food, and other consumables, directly endangering the Nigerian populace.

“

We are not an association; we are a professional regulatory body. Our responsibility is to regulate practitioners who carry out analysis in laboratories.

IPAN's role, as Angara clarifies, is distinct from product regulators like NAFDAC and SON. While these agencies oversee products and industries, IPAN's mandate focuses on the personnel and facilities conducting the crucial analyses that inform regulatory decisions. The reports generated by IPAN-certified public analysts are the bedrock upon which enforcement actions are based. The presence of untrained individuals issuing fraudulent reports, sometimes leveraging digital tools and AI to create fake results, creates a dangerous loophole that allows substandard and harmful products to proliferate.

“

It is the analysis conducted by certified public analysts that agencies rely on to make decisions, including sanctioning companies that produce harmful or substandard products.

This situation is particularly concerning in Nigeria, a country grappling with a persistent challenge of counterfeit and substandard goods, especially in the pharmaceutical and food sectors. Angara's remarks during a recent induction ceremony for new members underscore IPAN's commitment to bolstering professional regulation. By rigorously screening and inducting competent professionals, IPAN aims to close existing gaps in the system and ensure that the analytical backbone supporting Nigeria's health and safety ecosystem is robust, reliable, and exclusively in the hands of certified experts. This focus on personnel is vital for building trust and ensuring genuine product safety.

“

In many cases where substandard products are found, it means the necessary scrutiny by qualified public analysts did not take place. What you often find are quacks without the requisite knowledge or certification issuing analytical reports.