Quacks in laboratories pose public health risks — IPAN Registrar

The Registrar of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, Aliyu Angara, has said that only certified and regulated analysts can guarantee the safety of drugs, food, and other consumables in the country, warning that the activities of unqualified practitioners continue to pose serious risks to public health.

Angara spoke on the sidelines of an induction ceremony organised by the institute in Abuja, where 49 professionals were formally admitted into the body.

He stressed that the institute plays a critical but often under-recognised role in Nigeria’s health and safety ecosystem by ensuring that laboratory analyses guiding regulatory decisions are conducted by competent professionals.

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

The registrar explained that while agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control and Standards Organisation of Nigeria regulate products and industries, IPAN focuses on the professionals whose analytical reports form the backbone of regulatory enforcement.

“Our mandate is on personnel who work in laboratories and the facilities where analyses are conducted. Other agencies use the reports generated by our members to regulate products and enforce compliance.

“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,” he added.

Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of counterfeit and substandard products, particularly in the pharmaceutical and food sectors.

Experts say weak quality control systems, poor laboratory practices, and the use of unqualified personnel have contributed significantly to the problem.

Angara linked the persistence of fake and unsafe products partly to the presence of untrained individuals in laboratories.

“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,” he said.

He disclosed that the institute had sanctioned several such individuals, noting that some now exploited digital tools to generate fraudulent laboratory results.

“In the age of AI, some individuals simply download analytical reports and present them as genuine, collecting money from unsuspecting clients without any competence or authorisation,” he said.

Angara noted that the induction of new members was part of IPAN’s broader strategy to strengthen professional regulation and close existing gaps in the system.

According to him, the newly inducted members were selected through a rigorous process involving screening, training, and assessment.

“Out of about 102 applicants, only 49 were successful. That shows the level of scrutiny involved.

“These are highly experienced professionals—professors, senior lecturers, directors, and industry experts—who have now been brought under a proper regulatory framework,” he said.

Angara added that expanding the pool of certified analysts would improve quality assurance systems across sectors such as healthcare, food safety, environmental monitoring, oil and gas, and manufacturing.

“We operate largely behind the scenes, but our work ensures that the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, and the drugs you take are safe,” he said.

Established by Decree 100 of 1992 and later codified as Act I-16 of 2004, IPAN is mandated to regulate the practice of public analysts in Nigeria through training, certification, licensing, and accreditation of laboratories.

Public analysts are responsible for conducting scientific tests on a wide range of substances—including drugs, food, cosmetics, environmental samples, and industrial materials—to determine their safety, quality, and compliance with standards.

Their findings form the scientific basis for enforcement actions by regulatory bodies and are often used as evidence in legal and compliance proceedings.

The registrar called on companies, universities, and research institutions to prioritise the engagement of certified public analysts in their quality control and research processes.

“Organisations involved in quality assurance should do more to engage certified public analysts who interface with the institute. That is the only way to guarantee credible and reliable results,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of scientific testing in addressing environmental concerns such as air pollution.

“You cannot determine the quality of air in Nigeria without proper analysis. You must collect samples from specific locations and test them in the laboratory before making any conclusions,” he noted.

Angara acknowledged that while the institute has operated for over three decades, public awareness of its role remains limited.

“We have been in existence for over 30 years, and we are working to make the Institute more visible through public engagement and media interaction,” he said.