With over 70 per cent of its medicines imported and porous borders that are difficult to police, Nigeria has become a fertile ground for fake drugs, often hidden in plain sight on street corners, in open markets, and even on the shelves of some licensed outlets. Despite spirited efforts by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the problem persists, driven by systemic weaknesses, regulatory gaps, and a widespread lack of consumer confidence. This second part of this story dives into the human cost of this menace, the economic burden it imposes, and explores NAFDAC’s latest enforcement campaigns and how to end this menace
Nigeria’s vulnerability
Nigeria remains particularly vulnerable to the scourge of fake drugs for several interconnected reasons. First, the country imports approximately 70 per cent of its medicines, relying heavily on pharmaceutical products from China, India, and other countries with varying regulatory oversight.
This dependency creates complex supply chains that are difficult to monitor effectively.
There were rumours in 2020 that some COVID-19 vaccines sent to Nigeria had expired or had passed their shelf life. Some were also said to be substandard.
Second, NAFDAC, Nigeria’s principal regulatory authority, has long been under-resourced and understaffed.
Despite significant progress in recent years, the agency struggles to police Nigeria’s vast, porous borders and extensive informal pharmaceutical markets.
A 2022 NAFDAC report estimated that nearly 30 per cent of medicines in Nigeria’s open markets are either substandard or counterfeit.
Many of these drugs are distributed through unregulated street vendors, roadside stalls, and unlicensed pharmacies.
The human cost
The human toll of fake drugs is heartbreaking and widespread. Many Nigerians have suffered treatment failure due to ineffective medications.
In some cases, patients have died after taking counterfeit drugs laced with toxic substances or completely devoid of active ingredients.
One poignant example is the prevalence of fake antimalarials. Malaria remains a leading cause of death in Nigeria, particularly among children under five.
When patients use counterfeit antimalarial drugs, their illness worsens, and the parasite develops resistance, making future treatment even more difficult.
Many people on social media have complained about how several malaria medications no longer work.
Fake drugs also exert a profound economic burden on Nigeria’s healthcare system and economy.
The WHO estimates that counterfeit medicines cost low- and middle-income countries approximately $200 billion annually in lost revenue and wasted resources.
For Nigeria, the economic impact includes increased healthcare expenditures, productivity losses, and diminished confidence in the healthcare system. Legitimate pharmaceutical companies also suffer as counterfeit products dilute their market share and damage brand reputations.
What Nigerians are saying
A survey of 115 respondents by our correspondent on the matter revealed a deep and pervasive distrust in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical landscape.
Conducted through a Google sheet, the survey targeted everyday Nigerians across Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Kano, Plateau, Benue, Abia, Ondo, Taraba, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Osun, and Sokoto, seeking to understand how much trust people place in locally available medications and the systems designed to regulate them.
Of the 115 respondents, 93 admitted that they do not trust the medicines sold in Nigeria’s open market.
Their reasons varied—from fear of counterfeit drugs to poor handling and storage practices. Many linked their distrust to personal or familial experiences of ineffective or harmful medications.
One respondent in Gbagada, Lagos, Oke Bada, said: “I don’t take any meds from street pharmacies unless I check it with a pharmacist. Even then, I ask too many questions. I just don’t trust this system.”
One hundred and eleven of the 115 respondents confessed that they always double-check medication before using it. This includes verifying expiry dates, looking for NAFDAC registration numbers, and inspecting packaging for tampering or spelling errors.
A pharmacist in Port Harcourt, who said she did not want to be named, noted, “It’s sad, but many of my customers come with anxiety. They ask if the medication I’m handing them is original, as if I’m supposed to swear an oath. Even as a pharmacist, if I see a new brand, I call my other colleagues or post it on our platforms before I begin to recommend or display. And with Nigeria, every new moon, there is always a new brand of medication that is supposed to do the same thing.”
Also, an astonishing 110 respondents said they prefer foreign-manufactured drugs to locally produced ones. The perception is that foreign medicines are more reliable, better regulated, and more effective.
Several respondents shared that they ask family and friends abroad to send medications or shop at international pharmacies when travelling.
Florence, a mother of one, puts it this way, “If it’s made in Nigeria, I hesitate. If it’s from the United Kingdom or the United States, I am relaxed. Regulations there are tight.”
Meanwhile, 114 respondents agreed that NAFDAC should mandate all pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers to include the Mobile Authentication Service scratch code on every medication pack. They argued that this is the barest minimum to stem the tide of fake drugs.
“It’s 2025. If I can verify my recharge card, I should be able to verify my antibiotics,” said a university student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who did not want to be named. “No scratch code, no sale.”
Only four respondents said they believe Nigeria’s pharmaceutical regulatory system is doing well.
Even they admitted that major improvements were necessary, particularly in enforcement, border checks, and consumer education.
Analysing the data, public health researcher and data analyst Ihechilurum Ogodo said the data paints a stark picture.
“Nigerians are navigating a pharmaceutical environment filled with fear, doubt, and suspicion. From double-checking medications to preferring foreign options, the lack of confidence in locally available drugs is widespread.
“If there’s any consensus at all, it is this: NAFDAC must enforce stricter measures, including universal scratch codes, before the crisis spirals further out of control.”
What NAFDAC is doing
In recent months, NAFDAC has intensified its efforts to combat the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines across Nigeria.
Through a series of coordinated raids and enforcement operations, the agency has dismantled numerous illicit drug syndicates, seized billions of naira worth of fake drugs, and destroyed vast quantities of harmful products.
Between February and March 2025, NAFDAC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, conducted a month-long operation dubbed “Operation Udo Ka” across major drug markets in the Southeast, including Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos.
The operation led to the interception of over 100 trailers loaded with counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals valued at over N1 trillion. These products included narcotics that not only posed health risks but also fueled insecurity in the region.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit drugs worth N100 billion at the Moniya dump site.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasised that such destruction was essential to prevent the reentry of expired, fake, substandard, and counterfeit drugs into circulation.
Similarly, in the Federal Capital Territory, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit drugs and food products valued at N1.3 billion. These items, seized from various locations, included drugs, food products, cosmetics, and chemicals deemed unfit for human consumption.
Market raids
In December 2024, NAFDAC sealed 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State, following the discovery of counterfeit and expired products valued at N5 billion. The seized items included beverages, wines, spirits, carbonated drinks, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yoghurt
A similar operation in Abuja led to the seizure of counterfeit products worth N50m from popular supermarkets.
The confiscated items included counterfeit cosmetics and drugs, highlighting the widespread nature of the counterfeit drug trade
NAFDAC’s enforcement efforts also targeted illegal drug manufacturing facilities. In Delta State, the agency uncovered a facility used both as a residence and a makeshift drug factory. The operation led to the arrest of the suspect’s wife, who was involved in the production and distribution of fake and expired drugs
Awareness, consumer vigilance
NAFDAC has also emphasised the importance of public awareness in combating the menace of counterfeit drugs.
The agency advises Nigerians to scrutinise products carefully, ensuring they are sourced from reputable outlets and have NAFDAC registration numbers. Prof. Adeyeye warns against buying products sold significantly below standard market prices, as they are likely counterfeit.
Experts argue that fixing this crisis requires more than regulatory band-aids. Local drug manufacturing must be prioritised.
“We must go beyond knee-jerk import substitution. The government must invest in local capacity,” said Pharm. Igwe Uche, a policy analyst and member of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. “Only by producing our own medicines, under strict standards, can we cut off counterfeiters and reclaim our pharmaceutical sovereignty.”
The Nigerian government’s National Drug Policy, revised in 2021, sets ambitious targets for self-sufficiency in drug production. But implementation remains slow. Power shortages, access to raw materials, and lack of financing plague the sector.
Until those hurdles are addressed, and until regulators receive adequate tools, training, and funding, the departure of companies like GSK will not just be a corporate footnote; it will be a public health emergency.
Experts’ concerns
Experts remain deeply concerned that Nigeria’s ongoing challenges with chaotic drug distribution, weak regulatory frameworks, and delayed enforcement of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines continue to cost lives.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Medicines Association, Mr Innocent Ezennaya, in a recent report, pointed to known sources of counterfeit drugs entering the country.
Despite efforts, these fake medicines keep flooding the market due to inadequate border controls and compromised officials.
He emphasised that unregistered drugs often slip through Nigeria’s borders, airports, and seaports, highlighting the urgent need for stricter oversight at these entry points. Without effectively blocking these sources, he warned, all attempts to combat the menace will be undermined.
Meanwhile, street drug hawking persists unabated, even involving individuals with no legitimate background in pharmaceuticals.
Pharmacists stress that medicines are essentially poisons if mishandled and must never be sold indiscriminately or stored improperly, as exposure to heat and sunlight compromises their safety and effectiveness.
Current penalties for counterfeit drug offences—a fine of N500,000 and up to five years’ imprisonment—are widely regarded as inadequate.
The Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Pharm Ezeh Ambrose, called for stiffer sanctions, proposing fines of at least N50 million and prison terms extending to 20 years.