₦airaland Forum

FAKE DRUGS, SUSPECTED COUNTERFEIT FOODS FLOOD THE MARKET: CAN NIGERIA STILL TRUST WHAT IT BUYS?

Nigeria is facing renewed scrutiny over the safety of medicines, foods, beverages and other consumer products as consumers, pharmacists and public health experts raise fresh concerns about suspected counterfeit, substandard and adulterated products.

The worrying part is not simply that some fake products may be circulating. It is that the average Nigerian often cannot tell the difference between a genuine product and a sophisticated counterfeit by simply looking at the packaging.

A medicine can carry a convincing label, batch number and expiry date and still require proper regulatory or laboratory verification before anyone can confidently declare it genuine.

The World Health Organisation estimates that at least one in 10 medical products in low and middle income countries is substandard or falsified. WHO says such products can cause treatment failure, poisoning, antimicrobial resistance and, in serious cases, death.

This is why some of the stories currently circulating online deserve attention, but also caution.

A resident of Kubwa, Abuja, told Nigerian Tribune that an antimalarial she purchased from a major pharmaceutical outlet failed to improve her condition. She later became concerned after hearing about another medicine allegedly found to be substandard during verification. Her own claim could not independently be established by the newspaper.

Similar allegations are emerging from the food and beverage sector.

A seller identified as Nwamaka said customers returned packaged products because of unusual smells, tastes and appearances, despite the products apparently remaining within their printed expiry dates. She said her shop stopped selling one of the products pending clarification.

Again, an unusual smell, taste or appearance does not automatically prove that a product is counterfeit or adulterated. Laboratory examination and regulatory investigation are required.

LAGOS DRUG MARKETS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Residents of Lagos Island have also alleged that some operators within drug markets around Oju Olobun, Enu Owa and Adeniji Adele deal in both genuine and counterfeit medicines.

Residents said NAFDAC has conducted enforcement operations in the area previously, yet allegations of illegal pharmaceutical activity continue to surface.

The bigger question is therefore not simply, “Why are regulators seizing fake drugs?”

The bigger question is, “Why can the same problem keep returning?”

A pharmacist quoted in the report pointed to complex supply chains, price pressure, weak verification and surveillance challenges. In some cases, counterfeit medicines are becoming sophisticated enough to make visual identification extremely difficult.

WHO similarly identifies complex supply chains, weak regulatory systems, inadequate enforcement and informal markets as factors that can allow substandard and falsified medical products to reach consumers.

REGULATORS SAY THEY ARE NOT SLEEPING

NAFDAC says it is strengthening its surveillance and enforcement activities, including plans for a 600 member Pharmacists Reserve Volunteer Programme to provide trained pharmacists who can support regulatory operations across Nigeria.

The idea is significant because regulation cannot remain concentrated in laboratories, ports and government offices. Unsafe products ultimately reach people through markets, pharmacies, hospitals, shops and other points of sale.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has also emphasised proper product labelling and traceability, including manufacturing and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredients and other relevant details.

NAFDAC has also issued alerts on suspected counterfeit products, demonstrating that sophisticated counterfeiting is not merely a theoretical problem. WHO continues to report falsified medical products internationally, including recent alerts in 2026.

THE MOST DANGEROUS MYTH

One dangerous assumption is that a medicine that fails to work must automatically be fake.

Not necessarily.

The diagnosis could be wrong. The medicine could be inappropriate. The patient may have a resistant infection. The dose could be incorrect. The illness may require another treatment. Or, indeed, the product could be substandard or falsified.

This distinction matters because accusing a manufacturer, pharmacy or trader of selling counterfeit products without proper evidence can destroy reputations and businesses.

At the same time, dismissing repeated complaints without investigating them can put lives at risk.

Nigeria therefore needs something stronger than occasional raids after fake products have already reached consumers.

We need continuous post market surveillance, stronger laboratory capacity, traceable pharmaceutical supply chains, intelligence led inspections, tougher action against deliberate offenders and faster public alerts when unsafe products are confirmed.

Consumers also have a role.

Buy medicines from properly registered medicine outlets and healthcare professionals. Keep receipts and packaging where possible. Do not rely solely on social media photographs to determine whether a product is genuine. Report suspicious medicines or products to the appropriate regulator rather than simply forwarding allegations online.

The real revolution will not be when NAFDAC seizes another truckload of fake drugs.

It will be when Nigeria builds a system where counterfeiters find it increasingly difficult to manufacture, import, distribute and sell dangerous products without being detected.

Until then, the question remains painfully simple:

When a Nigerian walks into a shop or pharmacy and pays for a product carrying a legitimate looking label, can the system guarantee that what is inside is actually what the label promises?

That is the question regulators, manufacturers, healthcare professionals and consumers must answer.

Source: https://tribuneonlineng.com/counterfeit-food-drugs-flood-nigerias-markets-as-regulators-face-fresh-scrutiny/amp/

No I don’t even trust this write up that it’s not ChatGPT

Trust is a stranger in Nigeria , everyone is looking for money and don’t care if lives is lost, all we want is more money

Money na water
And mind you it’s not only drugs that is fake even fruits , vegetables and others are not left out. Hope you heard the orange story and Osibanjo wife , the colored palm oil is no more a story, plantain too is there , so in nigeria trust is a stranger, we are killing ourself gradually for money

Does anybody still believes in the country? I doubt!

Everybody is just trying to survive.

Even the writer might be more interested in selling his article, than the pandemic that he is writing about.

The NAFDAC DG was asked if she'll resign because of the high volume of fake products in the market, she stared laughing as if the health and lives of Nigerians have become a joke.

Last week I bought chivita, it was slimy I took it back to the shop and the woman there told me she wasn't the one who made it that she bought it like that and refused to refund me back my money.

I snapped the slimy juice and sent it as an email to NAFDAC along with the address of the shop. Up till now I haven't gotten any response from them.

When you appoint people based on loyalty and tribe this is what you expect. There are credible Nigerians out there who can do a better job, but they won't be given the job because their loyalty lies elsewhere or they're from another tribe.

So people keep getting sick and dying and nobody is sacked or arrested.

Problem starts when government officials intentionally do violence to merit in the recruitment of technical officials that should be responsible for certain specific roles in either the NAFDAC or SON.

We cheer on as government officials flood every agency with party hirelings and their ethnic henchmen. Yet, those positions need very well trained altruistic hands, that should be able to make sure that products being supplied to the markets or imported into the country, meets certain agreed qualities and standard.

Niveria can be funny sometimes. We do thingss as government officials because we feel we can. But when you throw stones into the open market, it can hit yours.. EG: When you take someone who read just koraniic education and appoint him as a top staff in the Nigerian AeroSpace Agency, as was reported here some months back, what do you expect him to do? To take you to the moon to recite the Koran?

All the agencies saddled with the responsibility of vetting every product manufactured or imported into this country is to blame.

If they did their jobs as they should, we shouldn’t be battling such mess.

IfNAFDAC has not sent anybody to jail for like 45yrs, nobody especially the counterfeiters will take them seriously!

This is 2026

Imagine a child that was born in 1999 which was the start of this set of democracy, has become 27 years old.

27 years of not knowing what a good government is

27 years of never getting to enjoy a stable country.

I was born in an era when all my shoes came in a box. K-Swiss, Adidas, Converse, Bata to Lenards, and e.t.c. then I grew up to start seeing kids wear rubbish inferior called JimJim.

Back then in University, it was ORIGINAL DOCKERS CHINOX, original LEE & LEVIS, US Polo shoes. Now even if you be yahoo boy you can't afford all this in your locker.

Back then, if you leave MILO open for 10 minutes, it will fudge into chocolate candy. You never needed to tell anyone that TEA IS READY, the smell of milk will fill
the whole house. Now there is NO REAL MILK IN NIGERIA only chinese formulas.

CHINESE FORMULA HAS TAKEN OVER THE INDUSTRIES. NO MORE HONEST PRODUCTION.

my mother never smoked or drank but liver cancer took her.
WHERE DID ALL THIS CANCER COME FROM?
We are now in an era where 1 in 50 people have a good chance of getting cancer even if they don't smoke or drink alcohol.
EVEN YOUR BOTTLE WATER HAS PRESERVATIVES AND OTHER CHEMICALS THAT MAKE THE WATER SPARKLE for more sales.

What do we have now? we have all been made to believe you have to TRAVEL OUT to get original stuff.

it is so sad to say, Many people born within the last 20 years have never tasted real milk. All the powdered milk you see in Nigeria is just FLAVOUR.

Let me ask HAVE YOU EVER SEE POWDERED MILK in any foreign movie? Let's start from there and see how we have been robbed.

Abeg let's just live and die in peace.
I have accepted that I am now in an era where No matter how many millions you have in your bank, you will always end up with INFERIOR things in the name of Original.

Gbadugbakun:
The NAFDAC DG was asked if she'll resign because of the high volume of fake products in the market, she stared laughing as if the health and lives of Nigerians have become a joke.

Last week I bought chivita, it was slimy I took it back to the shop and the woman there told me she wasn't the one who made it that she bought it like that and refused to refund me back my money.

I snapped the slimy juice and sent it as an email to NAFDAC along with the address of the shop. Up till now I haven't gotten any response from them.

When you appoint people based on loyalty and tribe this is what you expect. There are credible Nigerians out there who can do a better job, but they won't be given the job because their loyalty lies elsewhere or they're from another tribe.

So people keep getting sick and dying and nobody is sacked or arrested.

The bolded is the core problem we face Today, wrong people occupying sensitive positions and you expect excellent results.

They use money to buy money, only in Nigeria you can see that..

Even Nigerians no trust themselves, how much more trust Nigerian-made products.

Na make God help Nigerians as we take caution of what we consume.

Seun, what happened to your 'likes' counter? Seems there's some malfunction to it. E be like e dey overcount.

Low purchasing power, high level of unsold goods becoming expired and new stamp to make them look new causing destruction to our lives. Go to Apogbon under bridge,people are producing wines and various drinks, if I can see it, it means regulatory bodies are blind to truth.

Funny I am coming across this topic just after buying a sub standard garri from a neighbour who I thought was a trustworthy fellow, the fact he is a Jehovah witness never made me suspicious to how dubious he might be. I fell sick and nearly kicked the bucket consuming that poison.

NAFDAC has a lot of work to do. Eg pure water isn't what it is.

However, it isn't surprising that those who we know are part of the problem of inflation in Nigeria are usually same culprit in the production or importation of several fake consumable products, drugs and the likes. But are quick to condemn the government whenever possible.

If Nigeria really took its drug production standards high, with the available pharmaceutical firms in the country, we could even export to neighboring countries but for now, we need to redeem our name from substandard products.

Helpfromabove1:
No I don’t even trust this write up that it’s not ChatGPT

Trust is a stranger in Nigeria , everyone is looking for money and don’t care if lives is lost, all we want is more money

Money na water
And mind you it’s not only drugs that is fake even fruits , vegetables and others are not left out. Hope you heard the orange story and Osibanjo wife , the colored palm oil is no more a story, plantain too is there , so in nigeria trust is a stranger, we are killing ourself gradually for money

Broke my heart when I saw video of fake bottle water yesterday.

The food and drugs administration control unit have left Nigerians to figure it out themselves....let the best immune system live above 50...😢

To think there is a certain pedophile presidential candidate that is advocating for fake drugs suppliers because they are his brothers.

The Consumer Protection Agency and NAFDAC are the ones responsible for keeping the fake/adulterated drugs out of the hand of the consumers. In this report ... what is discussed needs to be discussed among themselves and come up with solutions to keep the products off the market ... not to be explaining to us. What have they done about it? Does labelling ... having expiry dates ... Official pharmacies ... has any of these measures made an impact? Has any of the sporadic raids made an impact? How effective are these agencies?

I believe it will be better for these agencies to make and update laws regarding fake drugs and illegal pharmacies. Laws need to be upgraded where the consequences must serve as a deterrent for most to sell fake drugs. Then the law has no bite if there is no enforcement ... consistent enforcement. What the public will need to know are the hotline numbers they can call to report illegal pharmacies and where the bought fake/expired drugs. Official pharmacies do also take part in selling these drugs. The hotlines must be linked to enforcement usits to investigate. If all of these are working .. system in place ... I'm sure we will not have to worry much about fake drugs .. unless we choose to go underground to buy.

If we can take a page out of how New York handles a similar problem .... cigarettes .. specifically how it gets cigarettes out of the hands of underaged consumers. And yes ... no typo ... one has to be at least 21 years old to buy cigarettes.... and even a beer! Why can't we draft similar laws? ... if we really are serious?

Definitely! It’s all about the narrative. packaged and ready for a little boost of validation.

Technical Writer

Invest in agriculture una say no

Relocate to the rural areas to plant your own food, you wan to kpai inside Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt

I'm eating fresh foods and vegetables from the farm, doing exercises and living healthy.

Keep going to church to pray for abetter life,you hear?

No go enter agric work,you go see shege for foodstuff hand.

That TRIBE never grab POWER,
FAKE THINGS in everywhere in NIGERIA

OUTSIDE NIGERIA
Bad image in everywhere you go.

Just imagine

If this TRIBE grab POWER

What Will happen ?

MR obedience indeed.

Dpharmacist:
FAKE DRUGS, SUSPECTED COUNTERFEIT FOODS FLOOD THE MARKET: CAN NIGERIA STILL TRUST WHAT IT BUYS?



Source: https://tribuneonlineng.com/counterfeit-food-drugs-flood-nigerias-markets-as-regulators-face-fresh-scrutiny/amp/

In God we trust

Those guys can do anything for money

The old woman at NAFDACight still be sleeping... How do we expect someone gbag should be retired to be working .... Tribalism

Let's expel them away from Nigeria so they can go and have the country yet we can ...is it that we are stupid to be afraid of these tribes or that we love them that we can't do without them ?


What's wrong with us

adeprosper20233:
That TRIBE never grab POWER,
FAKE THINGS in everywhere in NIGERIA

OUTSIDE NIGERIA
Bad image in everywhere you go.

Just imagine

If this TRIBE grab POWER

What Will happen ?

MR obedience indeed.

Regulatory agency can't do anything because Nigerian are naturally wicked people, so no trust exists anywhere

na poor write up. ChatGPT

Helpfromabove1:
No I don’t even trust this write up that it’s not ChatGPT

Trust is a stranger in Nigeria , everyone is looking for money and don’t care if lives is lost, all we want is more money

Money na water
And mind you it’s not only drugs that is fake even fruits , vegetables and others are not left out. Hope you heard the orange story and Osibanjo wife , the colored palm oil is no more a story, plantain too is there , so in nigeria trust is a stranger, we are killing ourself gradually for money

iwaeda:
Low purchasing power, high level of unsold goods becoming expired and new stamp to make them look new causing destruction to our lives. Go to Apogbon under bridge,people are producing wines and various drinks, if I can see it, it means regulatory bodies are blind to truth.

Thank you for pointing out this glaring manufacturing unit. The government is working, they need your vote in 2027.

Everything in this country is counterfeit even ordinary water.


We paying the Heavy Price already with deathh

TheStoriesOfMan:
Invest in agriculture una say no

Relocate to the rural areas to plant your own food, you wan to kpai inside Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt

I'm eating fresh foods and vegetables from the farm, doing exercises and living healthy.

Keep going to church to pray for abetter life,you hear?

No go enter agric work,you go see shege for foodstuff hand.

As in!! The quest for city life is beyond my imagination. One lady dey create farming content from my village, she say she nor need to go city to enjoy her life. If you see fresh palmwine wey dey flow on a steady ehn.