NAFDAC Seizes Fake Malaria Drugs Worth N1.2bn in Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted counterfeit malaria drugs valued at more than N1.2 billion in Lagos, in what the agency describes as another major strike against substandard medicines in the country.

In a statement posted on its official X handle on Friday, NAFDAC revealed that 277 cartons of fake and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria drugs were discovered in a warehouse at Ilasa-Oshodi. The cartons, disguised as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg, had been illegally shipped into Nigeria from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China and declared at entry as spare parts.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency is determined to protect Nigerians from harmful products. “With the full support of the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC remains committed to eliminating counterfeit drugs and protecting public health,” she said.

She explained that the seizure was part of a wider nationwide enforcement campaign to ensure only quality and safe medicines reach consumers. Earlier in the week, Adeyeye told lawmakers in Abuja that the agency’s recent operations in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba had already generated about N2.5 billion in fines from traders caught selling counterfeit or substandard drugs.

Breaking down the figures, she said N996 million was spent on enforcement, N159 million borrowed from a donor grant, and N1.18 billion used for regulatory expenses, leaving NAFDAC with N207 million. According to her, the nationwide operations, which deployed more than 1,300 security personnel, exposed widespread violations such as expired medicines, unapproved drugs, and unsafe storage conditions.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC also extended its campaign to Gombe State on Friday with a sensitisation programme in Billiri Local Government Area. The intervention came after reports that fruit sellers were using calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits.

State Coordinator of the agency, James Agada, said the exercise aimed to protect consumers from health hazards. “Calcium carbide poses serious health risks to consumers. Our intervention seeks to protect public health by encouraging fruit sellers to adopt safe practices,” he explained. He noted that artificially ripened fruits may look yellow on the outside but remain unripe inside, sometimes leaving powdery residues and peeling off quickly. “Consumption of fruits containing these impurities may cause cancer, heart, kidney and liver failure, as well as permanent skin damage,” he warned.

Agada stressed that the agency’s first approach was education before enforcement, urging sellers to use NAFDAC’s Green Book app, NAPAMS, and Scan2Verify platforms to confirm product authenticity.

Responding on behalf of vendors, the Chairman of the Fruit Sellers Association in Billiri, Alhaji Murtala Mohammed, applauded the awareness drive. “We are grateful to NAFDAC for this initiative. I want to warn our members against using calcium carbide because of its harmful effects. There are safer alternatives like pear and garden egg extracts that can be used for ripening fruits,” he said.