The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted counterfeit malaria medicines valued at more than ₦1.2 billion in Lagos.
The agency, in a statement on Friday via its official X handle, said operatives raided a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area, where 277 cartons of fake Malamal Forte drugs were uncovered.
“NAFDAC has intercepted 277 cartons of counterfeit and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria drugs, valued at over ₦1.2 billion, in a warehouse located in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of Lagos State,” the agency said.
According to the statement, the unregistered products were concealed in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg and illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China. The consignment was falsely declared as spare parts to avoid detection.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the seizure formed part of a broader crackdown on counterfeiters.
“This seizure is part of NAFDAC’s sustained nationwide operation to protect public health and ensure only safe, quality medicines are available to Nigerians,” she said.
Adeyeye explained that the agency had intensified monitoring at ports and warehouses across the country, in collaboration with other security agencies, to stop smugglers from flooding the market with dangerous products.
She added that the full backing of the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health had strengthened the agency’s campaign against counterfeit medicines.
Public health experts warn that circulation of fake antimalarials not only threatens lives but also fuels resistance to treatment, undermining years of progress against malaria. Nigeria currently accounts for about 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of related deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.