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NAFDAC introduces three sweeping measures to tackle counterfeit drugs and unsafe medicines.
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Nigeria becomes first in Africa to adopt full pharmaceutical traceability system.
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New Greenbook tool lets Nigerians verify drugs digitally before use.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched a bold new campaign to combat the widespread menace of fake and substandard drugs in Nigeria, rolling out three far-reaching initiatives to tighten regulatory control and boost public safety.
The reforms were announced at a two-day sensitisation workshop held on Tuesday in Lagos. Representing the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Mr. Fraden Bitrus, said the circulation of counterfeit medical products remains “the worst inhumanity of man to fellow men.”
Top on the list of initiatives is the NAFDAC Greenbook, a digital verification platform that allows users to confirm the authenticity of medicines by simply searching for the product name, brand, or registration number. Bitrus said this would serve as both a transparency measure and a life-saving resource in the fight against fake drugs.
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The second major policy, the Pharmaceutical Products Traceability Regulation 2024, mandates that all pharmaceutical products in Nigeria must now carry unique tracking identifiers, enabling real-time monitoring of drugs across the supply chain. Nigeria is the first country in Africa—and only the second globally—to roll out such a comprehensive traceability system.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, the same technology helped authorities swiftly recall defective COVID-19 vaccines within 24 hours during the pandemic.
The third pillar of the reform is the Paediatric Regulation 2024, which mandates strict standards for medicines intended for children. The regulation aims to ensure all paediatric medicines are safe, effective, and rigorously tested for quality.
Prof. Adeyeye described the initiative as a critical step toward protecting vulnerable children and urged all health stakeholders to adopt the new systems as a national duty.
Supporting the rollout, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Dr. Ibrahim Babashiu Ahmed, praised the reforms and affirmed the council’s full cooperation in implementing the new regulations.
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The President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Prof. Ekanem Ekure, also applauded NAFDAC’s child-focused push and called for collective action to safeguard future generations.
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) added its voice, vowing to intensify enforcement actions and deepen cooperation with NAFDAC to flush out harmful products from the market.
