NAFDAC denies unconditional reopening of drug markets

…Says it’ll not succumb to pressure

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denied reports of an unconditional reopening of Nigeria’s closed drug markets, calling such claims misleading and false.

Director General, NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, at a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, disclosed that reopening will only occur after full regulatory compliance and payment of investigative charges.

According to her, the Agency will not succumb or bow to pressure. “There is no unconditional opening of any market or shop. NAFDAC is standing strong. It is time to protect our people and stop unnecessary deaths, especially among women.” She emphasized that the agency’s enforcement stance remains firm and uncompromised.

In response to traders’ allegations of being forced to pay N700,000, Adeyeye explained that these were investigative charges, which had already been significantly reduced. “Penalties for selling unregistered drugs were lowered from N5 million to N200,000, while fines for improper storage dropped from N2 million to N500,000.

“Between February 9 and March 27, 2025, NAFDAC seized counterfeit, expired, falsified, and substandard medicines worth over ₦1 trillion during enforcement operations across drug markets in Lagos, Aba, and Onitsha. At Onitsha Bridgehead alone, 137 truckloads of illicit drugs, including 10 of unregistered Tramadol, were removed.”

Adeyeye said affected shop owners must visit the NAFDAC office in Onitsha to pay charges and sign compliance agreements before temporary reopening. She stressed that none of the shops had valid site licenses from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, justifying the blanket closure.

“When nine out of ten shops violate regulations, we cannot leave one open. This action was necessary to restore order in the drug distribution system.” She acknowledged that a few traders might have been compliant but noted that widespread infractions made targeted enforcement impractical.

NAFDAC also accused some traders of importing and distributing narcotics, posing a grave risk to public health and the nation’s youth. “These individuals are bringing in narcotics to destroy minds. We must stop that,” Adeyeye warned.

“The crackdown aligns with a presidential directive mandating the relocation of wholesale drug activities to Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs).” Adeyeye cited the successful enforcement of this policy in Kano, where traders were moved to a CWC after a decade-long legal battle, with security forces providing support.

Reaffirming NAFDAC’s commitment to public safety, Adeyeye stated: “Whatever is circulating online about unconditional reopening is false. We are not caving in. Our priority remains safeguarding public health.”

Daily Sun