The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has refuted online claims suggesting it has unconditionally reopened Nigeria’s open drug markets, describing the reports as misleading.
Speaking during a press conference in Lagos on Friday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reiterated that all reopenings remain conditional on compliance with regulatory requirements and the payment of investigative charges by affected shop owners.
“There is no unconditional opening of any market or shop,” Adeyeye asserted. “NAFDAC is standing strong. We are not caving in. It is time to protect our people. It is time to stop women dying.”
She addressed concerns about a trending Google news headline suggesting the agency had relaxed enforcement, saying such reports were false and do not reflect the agency’s position.
Updating the media on recent enforcement efforts in major open drug markets such as Idumota (Lagos), Ariaria (Aba), and the Onitsha Bridgehead market, Adeyeye revealed that over ₦1 trillion worth of counterfeit, expired, falsified, and substandard medicines—including illicit narcotics—were seized between February 9 and March 27, 2025.
“At the Bridgehead market alone, we evacuated 137 40-foot truckloads of illicit drugs, including 10 full truckloads of unregistered Tramadol,” she disclosed.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized that all affected traders must report to NAFDAC’s Onitsha office to collect their investigative charges and sign an undertaking acknowledging the temporary status of their shop reopenings.
“It is simple: you come, pay the charges, and sign the agreement. Then we reopen your shop—temporarily and under strict conditions. You are not staying there permanently.”
She also pointed out that none of the affected shops had valid site licenses from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), a core condition for operation. While acknowledging that a few shops may have been compliant, she explained the blanket closure was necessary to enforce broad accountability.
