Dr. Abdulai Kanu
Head of Factory Inspectorate & Import Control Department
Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone Email: akanu@pharmacyboard.gov.sl
Dr. Abdulai Kanu is a well experience Pharmacist with decade years of expertise in the pharmacy sector of Sierra Leone. He currently serves as a civil servant at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and is also a senior lecturer and researcher at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS).
He is the Head of Department (HOD) for the Department of Pharmaceutics Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at COMAHS and actively contributes to pharmaceutical education research regulatory strengthening and national public health initiatives.
In addition to his academic leadership Dr. Kanu serves as the Head of the Factory Inspectorate & Import Control Department at the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone where he oversees national pharmaceutical inspections import control processes GMP compliance and regulatory enforcement across all ports of entry and pharmaceutical facilities.
The Factory Inspectorate & Import Control Department is responsible for regulating and monitoring the manufacturing importation distribution and storage of pharmaceutical and related products in Sierra Leone. It ensures adherence to national regulatory requirements as well as international quality and safety standards.
Scope:
The department regulates pharmaceutical imports manufacturing facilities wholesale outlets and all ports of entry to ensure compliance with quality safety and regulatory standards.
Objectives:
The core objective of the department is to safeguard public health by ensuring that all pharmaceutical products entering or manufactured within the country meet required quality safety and efficacy standards.
i. Conduct GMP inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.
ii. Ensure compliance with Good Storage and Distribution Practices at warehouses and wholesale outlets.
iii. Process and approve import permits for pharmaceutical and related products.
iv. Prepare clearance and export permits for regulated products.
v. Perform post‑market surveillance activities including Truscan inspections.
vi. Inspect imported containers cartons and cargo at ports of entry.
vii. Conduct quarantine exercises for non‑compliant or suspicious products.
viii. Collect samples for laboratory analysis following organoleptic inspection.
ix. Conduct investigative inspections on reported violations.
x. Coordinate the destruction of expired counterfeit deteriorated or unwholesome pharmaceuticals.
xi. Manage sample returns to relevant importers after analysis.
Units of the Department:
This unit is responsible for regulating pharmaceutical imports through major entry points including:
• Queen Elizabeth II Port
• Lungi International Airport
It processes import permits clearance permits and ensures that all imported pharmaceuticals comply with the national regulatory framework prior to market entry.
This unit supervises:
• Factory/Manufacturing Sites
• Wholesale Outlets
It ensures compliance with GMP/GDP/GSP guidelines conducts inspections monitors product quality and performs investigative assessments in case of suspected violations.