The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated over N1 trillion worth of banned, expired, and substandard medical products in a nationwide operation.
Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of NAFDAC, shared this update during a briefing in Abuja.
Along with the drug seizures, 11,000 shops were sealed during the operation. Adeyeye mentioned that the N1 trillion figure may still be an “underestimation,” and further details will be available once the operation is completed.
The operation also revealed expired antiretroviral drugs and male condoms donated by USAID and UNFPA, which had been repackaged for resale.
Adeyeye emphasized the need for stricter penalties, including “life imprisonment or a death sentence” for those dealing in counterfeit drugs.
Additionally, NAFDAC plans to move open drug markets to more organized wholesale centres within the next year.
The enforcement effort spanned three major open drug markets—Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos—and led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of drugs, marking the largest drug haul in the agency’s history.
This initiative is part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan 2.0 (NAP 2023-2027), which aims to eliminate counterfeit medications, enhance regulatory adherence, and safeguard public health.
