NAFDAC Intensifies Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs in Nigeria

Nigeria is experiencing a significant public health crisis due to counterfeit and substandard medicines, which are killing thousands daily, especially children. The World Health Organization estimates that fake medicines cause over 100,000 deaths annually across Africa, with Nigeria bearing a substantial burden.

Poor-quality malaria drugs are linked to 72,000 to 267,000 deaths of children under five each year. NAFDAC, led by Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has intensified crackdowns, shutting down over 11,000 shops and seizing 138 truckloads of suspect medicines worth over a trillion naira in February 2025.

Despite conducting over 5,200 investigations and nearly 46,000 surveillance operations from 2023 to 2026, only 40 cases went to prosecution, with just six convictions in 2024. In 2025, of 114 arrests, only 16 cases reached court.

NAFDAC has made progress by removing 7,210 bad products from the market between May and July 2026 and securing 64 convictions in the past year. However, experts stress the need for a more effective justice system to combat this organized crime.