The long-standing struggle against counterfeit medicines in Nigeria has become increasingly challenging due to widespread economic hardship, driving up demand for these dangerous products, experts warn.
The severity of the issue was starkly highlighted in March, when authorities incinerated approximately $645 million worth of counterfeit medicines seized during six weeks of raids in Lagos and two southern states. Mojisola Adeyeye, the head of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), remarked, “What we have found could ruin a nation and destabilize a government.”
Efforts to combat the sale of fake and substandard medicines in Nigeria have been ongoing for decades. Porous borders and lax regulations have created an environment where medicines of uncertain quality and origin are readily available in open-air markets and thousands of unlicensed pharmacies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued stern warnings regarding the significant health risks posed by counterfeit medicines, which can be ineffective, harmful if they contain toxic substances, and contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of microbes.
Nigeria's struggling economy exacerbates the issue, with many people finding it increasingly difficult to afford legitimate medications. Tanimola Akande, a professor of public health at the University of Ilorin, noted, “Economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu since his inauguration in May 2023 have intensified the cost-of-living crisis.” The removal of fuel subsidies and the adjustment of the naira's exchange rate, aimed at revitalizing the economy, have instead led to soaring inflation and a drop in the naira’s value, exacerbating one of Nigeria's worst economic crises in decades.
While estimates regarding the prevalence of counterfeit medicines in Nigeria vary, a shocking figure from 25 years ago suggested that around 70% of medicines sold in the country were believed to be fake. Today, while the proportion is thought to have decreased, no definitive statistics exist. Akande stated, “The prevalence has reduced, but it remains a serious public health challenge.”
Recent NAFDAC raids, which resulted in filling 180 truckloads with unregistered and banned medicines, including opioids, underscore the scale of the counterfeit medicine crisis. Sayo Akintola, a NAFDAC spokesman, indicated that officials were unprepared for the amount of counterfeit drugs seized.
Moreover, the exodus of major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi from Nigeria, due to a challenging business environment and persistent inflation, has created a significant void in the market. Akande noted that these departures "worsened the supply of quality and standard drugs," leading to price surges of up to 1,100% for some medications.
In a bid to reduce escalating drug costs, President Tinubu signed an executive order in June 2024 aimed at boosting local pharmaceutical production, though its impact has been minimal to date. Akande pointed out that when individuals cannot afford legitimate medications, it can result in complications of diseases, increased hospital admissions, and even fatalities.
The majority of counterfeit drugs seized in recent raids were smuggled into Nigeria, with many originating from India and China. Akintola remarked that “India one of the major global suppliers of generic medicines has been a source of counterfeit drugs we've been struggling with.”
Further complicating matters, the dangers faced by NAFDAC officials can be severe; in 2010, four agency officers were kidnapped in Abia state, and one official was murdered in his home in Imo state.
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