My name is Abike Odelana. I work with C&F Porter Novelli, the Public Relations firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria.
It has come to our notice again that the editorial which had been frequently published in your medium titled “The Menace of Counterfeit drugs” has been published again this year on two occasions (February 24 2023 and March 3 2023).
This editorial contains a misquoted statement of Andrew Nevin, the Financial Services Advisory Leader and Chief Economist, Project Blue, PwC Nigeria. We reached out to you last year and a rejoinder was published on August 2 2023: https://www.blueprint.ng/re-the-menaceof-counterfeit-drugs/the misquoted statement is shown below:
“The disclosure that over 70 per cent of pharmaceutical products circulating in Nigeria are counterfeit and substandard should cause the populace sleepless nights. The state of affairs is like pronouncing a death sentence on all and sundry considering the obvious health implications.
Andrew Nevin, the Financial Services Advisory Leader and Chief Economist, Project Blue PwC Nigeria, made the startling revelation in his keynote address at the opening of the 90th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) holding in Umuahia”
However, Andrew Nevin said 17 per cent and not 70 per cent. This statement, when noticed last year, was promptly corrected by PricewaterhouseCoopers and we are bewildered as to why it is frequently being used by your media house even after a rejoinder has been published by your media house.
We would like you to amend the publication as promptly as you can and to desist from publishing this erroneous statement.
Thank you for your understanding and we hope for a stronger relationship with you as time progresses.
Oluwaseyi Abike Odelana.
Account Executive
