The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stepped up enforcement actions across several Nigerian states, destroying large stocks of fake, expired, and substandard drugs. These moves are part of its ongoing commitment to protect public health and ensure that only safe, effective pharmaceuticals are available in Nigerian markets.
In Oyo State, NAFDAC destroyed fake, smuggled, and expired drugs valued at about ₦10.99 billion. The exercise took place at the Moniya dumpsite in Akinyele Local Government Area, involving products seized from five South-West states and Kwara.
In Abuja, products worth about ₦1.37 billion including drugs, food items, and cosmetics were seized and destroyed. These were counterfeit, expired, or unregistered goods.
In Anambra State, NAFDAC carried out an operation in Onitsha and Aba, destroying fake and substandard pharmaceutical products worth over ₦1 trillion. The haul included controlled substances and banned medicines.
These figures show that the ₦15 billion amount referenced in some reports likely conflates several events, or is an over-estimate not backed by current data.
The destroyed items include:
Expired and unwholesome pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, antihypertensives, antimalarials.
Active substances that are banned or controlled, including tramadol.
Counterfeit or unregistered medical devices, cosmetics, herbal remedies, and other regulated products.
NAFDAC’s actions are critical because;
Fake and expired drugs pose serious risks treatment failures, adverse reactions, and even death.
They undermine public trust in healthcare systems.
They contribute to drug resistance (e.g., malarial and antibiotic resistance) when sub-therapeutic or adulterated products are used.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC’s Director-General, has repeatedly emphasized that the agency will not relent in removing dangerous pharmaceutical products from circulation.
Many citizens and media outlets have welcomed the agency’s efforts, calling the destruction exercises “welcome and long overdue.”
Some pharmacists and civil society groups argue that while the destruction is needed, more should be done upstream enhancing regulation, tracking supply chains, and prosecuting offenders to deter repeat offences.
Even with these enforcement successes, there are obstacles:
Scale of the problem: Nigeria’s size and porous borders make smuggling and illicit importation difficult to completely stop.
Regulatory gaps and enforcement: Some medicines still slip through weak spots in storage, transport, or licensing processes.
Public awareness: Not all consumers know how to identify authentic medicines; counterfeiters exploit ignorance.
Key recommendations include:
Strengthening drug registration and supply chain tracking systems.
Increasing penalties for manufacturers, importers, or vendors dealing with fake/expired products.
Enhancing collaboration with customs, police, and other enforcement agents.
Educating the public on how to identify fake or expired drugs.
While NAFDAC has made high-profile seizures and destruction exercises worth billions of naira, available evidence does not support the specific claim of ₦15 billion in one go. The confirmed figures ₦11 billion in Oyo, ₦1.37 billion in Abuja, and over ₦1 trillion in Anambra already underline the magnitude of the problem.
What remains vital is that the momentum continues that destructions are not just symbolic, but paired with lasting reforms to prevent counterfeit and expired drugs from ever entering the system.
