By Maxwell Ukoli
Nigeria’s healthcare system is bleeding, and the biggest hemorrhage is not from malaria, typhoid, or hypertension or even cancer.
It is from fake and substandard drugs.
Today, NAFDAC officers are overwhelmed, underfunded, and frustrated. They raid markets, seize trucks, and burn containers, only for the same fake drugs to reappear the next week.
Meanwhile Nigerians are dying in hospitals and at home from “paracetamol” that has no paracetamol, “antibiotics” that grow resistance, and “insulin” that is just water.
The hard truth: fake drugs are killing more Nigerians than many of the diseases we claim to be fighting. That is not a health failure. That is a systemic and governance failure.
WHERE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED
1. Weak Ports and Borders
80% of fake drugs enter through porous borders and compromised seaports. Customs, SON, and NAFDAC are not properly integrated. Containers are cleared without verification because “connections” matter more than certificates.
Markets like Onitsha Bridge Head, Ariaria, and Idumota still operate as wholesalers of death. Multiple court orders to relocate them have been ignored for years. Political interests protect the cartels.
3. Underfunded and Understaffed
NAFDAC: NAFDAC does the work of 10 agencies with the budget of one. Field officers lack vehicles, testing kits, and hazard pay. Yet they are expected to police a $5 billion drug market.
4. Weak Penalties and Slow Justice
A man caught with a container of fake cancer drugs gets bail in 48 hours. Prosecution takes 8 years. The cost of crime is cheaper than the profit.
5. No Traceability System
Most drugs in Nigeria cannot be tracked from manufacturer to patient. No mandatory serialization. So once it enters the market, nobody knows if it’s real.
This is why Nigerians now trust prayer more than prescriptions.
WHAT MUST BE DONE NOW – EFFECTIVE MEASURES
We don’t need more committees. We need enforcement and political will.
1. Declare Fake Drugs Economic Sabotage and Treason
Pass a very strict law with minimum 25-year jail term, no option of fine, and asset forfeiture for anyone manufacturing, importing, or distributing fake drugs. Name and shame them.
2. Fund and Arm NAFDAC Properly
Give NAFDAC its own forensic labs in the 6 geopolitical zones, mobile scanners at ports, and a dedicated “NAFDAC Police” unit. Budget for it like we budget for defense. A sick nation cannot defend itself.
3. Shut Down and Sanitize Open Drug Markets
Complete the relocation to Coordinated Wholesale Centers with CCTV, NAFDAC desks, and barcode scanning. No shop opens without NAFDAC registration and pharmacist supervision. Any governor who blocks this is complicit.
4. Mandatory Track-and-Trace for All Drugs
Every drug pack must have a unique NAFDAC code that consumers can verify by SMS or app before use. Manufacturers must serialize at source. This killed fake drugs in other countries.
5. Hold the Entire Chain Accountable
Prosecute not just the hawker, but the importer, the clearing agent, the bank that funded it, and the politician protecting it. Create a special Fake Drugs Tribunal for 90-day trials.
6. Public Education and Whistleblower Protection
A national campaign: “If it has no NAFDAC number, don’t take it.” Reward people who expose fake drug rings.
WE REMEMBER DR. DORA AKINYILI
We cannot talk about this fight without remembering Dr. Dora Akunyili.
As NAFDAC DG from 2001-2008, she did what many said was impossible. She took on mafia cartels, survived assassination attempts, and cleaned our ports. Under her, fake drug prevalence dropped drastically. She proved that with courage, visibility, and political backing, NAFDAC could work.
Her spotless record shames the excuses we hear today. If one woman with conviction could do it 20 years ago with less technology, why can’t the entire government do it now with more resources?
The death of Dr. Akunyili did not kill the standard she set. The silence of government did.
Conclusion
A country that cannot guarantee the safety of its drugs cannot guarantee the life of its citizens. Until the Presidency, National Assembly, Governors, and Security agencies treat fake drugs like Boko Haram treats bombs, nothing will change.
To the families who have buried loved ones because of fake drugs: your anger is justified.
To government: the blood is on your hands until you act.
Grow and sustain NAFDAC. Jail the cartels. Save Nigeria.
CHIEF UKOLI, MAXWELL KANO
