The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has dismissed online reports claiming it has unconditionally reopened Nigeria’s drug markets, describing such claims as false and misleading.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the clarification during a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, stressing that all reopenings remain strictly conditional on regulatory compliance.
“There is no unconditional opening of any market or shop,” Adeyeye asserted. “NAFDAC is standing strong. We are not caving in. It is time to protect our people. It is time to stop women dying.” She refuted a trending news headline suggesting the agency had relaxed enforcement, stating that the report misrepresented NAFDAC’s position.
Providing updates on recent enforcement operations, Adeyeye disclosed that between February 9 and March 27, 2025, over ₦1 trillion worth of counterfeit, expired, falsified, and substandard medicines—including illegal narcotics—were seized from major open drug markets such as Idumota (Lagos), Ariaria (Aba), and Onitsha Bridgehead market.
“At the Bridgehead market alone, we evacuated 137 40-foot truckloads of illicit drugs, including 10 full truckloads of unregistered Tramadol,” she revealed.
The NAFDAC boss emphasized that traders whose shops were temporarily reopened must report to the agency’s Onitsha office to pay investigative charges and sign an undertaking acknowledging the conditional nature of the reopening.
“It is simple: you come, pay the charges, and sign the agreement. Then we reopen your shop—temporarily and under strict conditions. You are not staying there permanently.”
Adeyeye noted that none of the affected shops had valid site licenses from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, a fundamental requirement for operation. While acknowledging that a few shops may have been compliant, she defended the blanket closure as necessary to enforce broad accountability.
“When nine out of ten shops are in violation, we cannot leave one open. This action was essential to restore order.”
She further linked resistance to compliance to individuals involved in the illegal importation and distribution of narcotics. “These individuals are bringing in narcotics to destroy the minds of our youth. We must stop that.”
The enforcement aligns with a presidential directive to relocate open drug markets to Coordinated Wholesale Centres nationwide. Adeyeye cited Kano as a success story, where traders were relocated after a decade-long legal battle.
“For 10 years, they took PCN to court, halting regulation. But a landmark judgment ended that. With the support of 150 security personnel, we enforced their relocation to the Kano CWC.”
Adeyeye stressed that Nigeria’s adherence to global health and trade standards is non-negotiable. “We want to trade globally. But that requires following global practices. If not, we cannot boost our GDP or create jobs.”
Warning against the dangers of unregulated drug markets, she highlighted the risks to patients with chronic illnesses. “Someone with hypertension or diabetes taking substandard medicine from these markets could die. That is what we are trying to prevent.”
She concluded with a firm stance: “Whatever is circulating online about unconditional reopening is false. NAFDAC is not caving in. We remain firm in our commitment to public health and safety.”