The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday destroyed fake, expired, substandard, and falsified drugs and products worth ₦15 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The destruction exercise, which took place at the agency’s dump site on the outskirts of the state capital, was part of NAFDAC’s nationwide efforts to safeguard public health and rid Nigeria of dangerous medical products.
Announcing the exercise, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Martins Iluyomade, said the destruction underscored the agency’s resolve to ensure that foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, and chemicals available in the Nigerian market meet international safety standards.
There is no doubt that drugs are a critical aspect of NAFDAC’s mandate, and the agency has established strict guidelines governing the licensing, sale, and distribution of drug products, Adeyeye said.
The products we destroyed today include expired, counterfeit, uncontrolled, unregistered, and banned drugs such as Analgin, Cocodamol, codeine cough syrup, tramadol, oxytocin, and various types of vaccines. The estimated street value of these products stands at ₦15 billion.
She stressed that the destruction was necessary to eliminate the risk of re-entry of such dangerous substances into circulation, warning that fake and expired drugs continue to pose severe threats to public safety, including drug resistance, organ damage, and in some cases, death.
Collaborative Effort
Prof. Adeyeye commended the collaboration of security and regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, for their roles in intelligence sharing, enforcement, and surveillance.
She further appealed to stakeholders, especially parents and guardians, to discourage patronage of quacks and unlicensed medicine vendors, noting that unregulated markets remain breeding grounds for counterfeit drug circulation.
The fight against fake and substandard products is not for NAFDAC alone. Every Nigerian has a role to play by refusing to patronise unauthorised sources and reporting suspicious products, she said.
Customs Pledges Continued Support
Speaking on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. S.K. Tijani reaffirmed the synergy between NAFDAC and Customs in intercepting harmful and unwholesome products at Nigeria’s borders.
He noted that importers of fake drugs often exploit porous border routes to smuggle banned and substandard medicines into the country, thereby endangering lives.
There is strong synergy between Customs and NAFDAC in ensuring that Nigeria’s markets are free from expired and counterfeit products. All stakeholders must remain vigilant and play their part in ensuring that our nation is safe from criminal activities,” Tijani stated.
Public Health and Economic Impact
Experts say Nigeria remains a major target for counterfeit drug traffickers due to its large population and high demand for medical products. According to NAFDAC, the circulation of fake and expired drugs has multiple consequences:
• Public health risks: Such products often lack active ingredients or contain harmful chemicals, leading to treatment failures, drug resistance, or fatalities.
• Economic sabotage: Counterfeit products undermine legitimate pharmaceutical businesses and discourage investment in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
• Loss of public confidence: Patients lose trust in healthcare systems when prescribed drugs fail to produce results.
Adeyeye reiterated that NAFDAC is determined to intensify surveillance and enforcement, particularly in rural communities where quack medicine dealers thrive.
Past Efforts and Way Forward
This destruction exercise in Ibadan adds to NAFDAC’s record of similar operations across Nigeria in recent years. For instance, in 2023, the agency destroyed substandard products worth ₦3 billion in Abuja, while similar exercises have taken place in Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos.
Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that the agency is leveraging new technologies such as the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS), which allows consumers to verify drug authenticity using SMS, and the NAFDAC Med-Safety App, designed for easy public reporting of adverse drug reactions and counterfeit suspicions.
She assured Nigerians that the agency would continue to pursue criminal prosecutions against offenders while intensifying nationwide sensitisation campaigns to curb the menace.
The destruction of ₦15 billion worth of fake and expired drugs in Ibadan is a strong signal of NAFDAC’s zero-tolerance stance against counterfeiters. The agency urged all stakeholders—government institutions, health professionals, and the general public—to support the fight against fake drugs, describing it as a collective responsibility essential to safeguarding lives and securing Nigeria’s healthcare system.