By SEKYEN WALSHAK
Access to safe and effective medicine should be one of the basic protections of any functioning health system, yet Nigerians continue to face the disturbing reality of counterfeit and falsified drugs entering the market. Behind every fake tablet, syrup or injection is a potential tragedy: a patient who believes treatment has begun while an illness continues to worsen.
The growing number of safety alerts surrounding suspected counterfeit medicines should therefore be treated not merely as a regulatory concern, but as a serious threat to public health that demands stronger enforcement, greater accountability and vigilance from everyone involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Drugs can never be underestimated in our society, particularly at a time when health challenges are increasing and many Nigerians depend on medicines to manage illnesses, relieve pain or achieve recovery. For many patients, access to the right medication can make the difference between life and death.
While some people depend on traditionally prepared medicines, commonly referred to as “herbs” or “agbo”, others rely on pharmaceutical products that are carefully manufactured and available in different forms, including tablets, capsules, syrups and injections.
With the growing demand for healthcare products, pharmaceutical companies registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) continue to manufacture different brands of medicines for similar conditions. These products may vary in price, packaging and, in some cases, effectiveness.
But alongside the legitimate pharmaceutical industry is a dangerous trade in fake, falsified and counterfeit medicines. These products can find their way into pharmacies, hospitals, patent medicine stores and other outlets, where unsuspecting Nigerians purchase and consume them without knowing the risks.
This raises a troubling question: How do counterfeit medicines continue to enter the Nigerian market despite the existence of a regulatory agency such as NAFDAC?
Between January and August 2026, NAFDAC issued several public safety alerts concerning falsified, counterfeit and unregistered medicines circulating in Nigeria. The affected products included medicines used in the treatment of diabetes, malaria, infections and other serious health conditions.
Among those flagged were counterfeit versions of Forxiga (Dapagliflozin) 10 mg, falsified Artemetrin DS and Ciprofit 500 tablets, fake Tavanic 500 mg, counterfeit Augmentin 625 mg, falsified Avastin 400 mg vials and counterfeit Proguanil tablets, as well as falsified or unregistered batches of Dostinex and Risperdal.
In February, the agency alerted the public to counterfeit Dostinex 0.5 mg tablets and called for surveillance and a mop-up exercise.
In March, Nigerians were warned about confirmed counterfeit Avastin 400 mg products and counterfeit Proguanil brands, including products carrying a fake NAFDAC registration number.
Then came an alert on counterfeit Augmentin 625 mg tablets in April. More recently, NAFDAC raised an alert over suspected counterfeit products mimicking Forxiga (Dapagliflozin).
These are not harmless products being copied simply to make somebody a little extra money. Some are medicines used by patients managing serious and potentially life-threatening conditions.
The danger becomes even more frightening when one considers what is at stake for a patient who believes genuine treatment is being administered.
A person battling cancer, diabetes, malaria, an infection or another serious illness depends on medication to improve or sustain their life. When such a patient unknowingly takes a counterfeit medicine, the expected treatment may never come. Instead, the illness may continue to worsen while valuable time is lost.
In some cases, the consequences can be irreversible.
The tragedy is that many consumers may never know that the medicine they have purchased is fake until it is too late. Unlike an obviously defective product, counterfeit medicine can look convincing. Its packaging may resemble that of a genuine product, and the unsuspecting consumer may have no immediate reason to doubt what has been purchased.
For a patient already struggling with illness, counterfeit medicine can turn a health challenge into a fight for survival.
This is why the fight against fake drugs must be treated as a national public health priority rather than an occasional enforcement exercise.
It would be easy to place the entire burden on NAFDAC. But the reality is that counterfeit medicines move through a chain involving manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies, patent medicine sellers, health institutions and consumers.
NAFDAC must undoubtedly lead the fight by strengthening surveillance, enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, particularly at points where counterfeit medicines enter the country and within major distribution networks.
Regular inspections of pharmacies, patent medicine stores, warehouses and other drug outlets should be sustained. Product authentication and traceability systems should also be strengthened and made simple enough for ordinary consumers to use.
The agency’s public alerts are important because they give Nigerians information about dangerous products that may already be in circulation. But alerts alone cannot solve the problem. By the time a counterfeit product is identified and the public is warned, some consumers may already have purchased or consumed it.
Prevention must, therefore, be as important as detection.
There must also be tougher consequences for manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers who knowingly put fake medicines into circulation. Counterfeiting medicines is not merely an economic offence. It is an attack on human life and should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
Those who deliberately manufacture or distribute fake medicines know that their actions can cause illness, treatment failure and death. They should not be allowed to hide behind the complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
But enforcement must be matched by public awareness.
Nigerians also have a responsibility to become more vigilant about the medicines they purchase and consume. Consumers should buy medicines only from licensed and reputable outlets and should pay attention to packaging, expiry dates, registration details and any other available authentication information.
Where a product appears suspicious, consumers should seek professional advice and report it to the appropriate authorities rather than simply assuming that the medicine is genuine.
Pharmacists, patent medicine sellers and health workers also have a crucial role to play. They are often the last line of defence between counterfeit products and patients. A culture of careful procurement, proper storage, verification and reporting can prevent dangerous medicines from reaching consumers.
The fight against counterfeit drugs is ultimately a fight to protect human lives.
Nigeria has enough challenges in its health sector without adding medicines that fail to treat illnesses or, worse, cause further harm. Patients should not have to worry that the medicine they have saved money to purchase could itself be a threat.
The problem is particularly serious for people who already struggle to afford healthcare. When medicines are expensive, consumers may be tempted to purchase cheaper products from unverified sources. This creates an opening for counterfeiters to exploit financial hardship.
The answer, however, cannot be to blame consumers for seeking affordable treatment. Instead, the pharmaceutical supply chain must become more transparent, accessible and accountable, while legitimate medicines must be available at prices that ordinary Nigerians can afford.
Government must also ensure that regulatory agencies have the resources, technology, personnel and institutional support required to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Surveillance cannot be occasional. It must be continuous.
The authorities must identify and close the loopholes that allow counterfeit products to enter the country, move through distribution networks and eventually reach patients.
Pharmaceutical companies, for their part, must continue to invest in secure packaging, authentication technologies and supply-chain monitoring. The more difficult it becomes to copy and distribute a genuine product, the greater the protection for consumers.
There is also a need for stronger cooperation among regulatory agencies, security agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare providers and international partners. Counterfeit medicine networks do not respect borders, and the response must therefore be coordinated.
Most importantly, Nigerians must stop treating fake drugs as an ordinary form of commercial fraud.
A counterfeit medicine is fundamentally different from a fake designer bag or a copied electronic device. When a person buys a counterfeit medicine, that person is placing their health and potentially their life in the hands of someone whose primary motivation may be profit.
That is why the issue demands urgency.
A medicine that promises healing but secretly causes harm is more than a fake product. It is a threat hiding in plain sight.
Nigeria cannot afford to look away.
The responsibility is collective, but the authorities must lead the way by closing the gaps that allow dangerous products to reach the people who need genuine medicines the most.
Every genuine medicine delivered to a patient is an opportunity for recovery. Every counterfeit one that reaches that same patient is a potential tragedy.
The choice should be clear: protect the medicine supply chain, protect the patient and, ultimately, protect life.