Pharmaceutical leaders accuse the government of failing to implement critical reforms like the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), launched over a decade ago.
Nigeria’s fake drug epidemic has exploded into a trillion-naira criminal enterprise, experts and regulatory officials warn.
Following the destruction of counterfeit medicines worth over ₦1 trillion in Anambra and Lagos, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blamed a weak regulatory foundation for the crisis.
“If you do not have a foundation, it’s a matter of time. The house will collapse,” NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, said.
Experts say every fake tablet sold is a potential death sentence. Janet, a young mother, died after taking a counterfeit anti-malarial drug bought from a community pharmacy. An autopsy revealed the drug contained no active ingredient.
Pharmaceutical leaders accuse the government of failing to implement critical reforms like the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG), launched over a decade ago.
“Medicines are not mere commodities. They must be stored, distributed, and dispensed professionally,” Pharm. Abiola Paul-Ozieh said.
Despite NAFDAC’s periodic crackdowns, counterfeit drugs, mainly from China and India, flood porous borders unchecked. Experts call for stiffer penalties, coordinated wholesale centres, and political will to dismantle open drug markets.
Without urgent reforms, public health experts warn, fake drugs will continue to claim countless Nigerian lives.