NAFDAC Confirms Charging Anambra Traders N700,000 For Regulatory Breaches

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed that it demanded payment from some traders in Onitsha, Anambra State, but clarified that the charges—amounting to N700,000—were imposed for specific regulatory violations.

In a statement titled “NAFDAC Warns Against Incitement, Reaffirms Commitment to Drug Market Reforms and Public Safety,” the agency responded to viral social media videos alleging extortion. It accused a social media influencer of attempting to incite Onitsha Bridge Head Market traders against regulatory efforts, warning that such actions may violate the Cybercrime Act.

NAFDAC said the traders were among those targeted in a nationwide enforcement operation conducted between February 9 and March 27, 2025, across major open drug markets in Lagos (Idumota), Abia (Aba), and Anambra (Onitsha). The operation led to the seizure and destruction of counterfeit, expired, banned, and substandard medicines valued at over N1 trillion.

According to the agency, investigations showed that many shops and warehouses in these markets were not registered with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and failed to meet Good Storage and Distribution Practice (GSDP) standards, in clear violation of national regulations.

As a result, NAFDAC imposed the following charges:

• N5,000,000 for the sale of unregistered products, later reduced to N200,000 after appeals.
• N2,000,000 for violations of GSDP standards, reduced to N500,000.

“These are officially gazetted charges applied consistently across all affected markets,” the agency stated.

NAFDAC emphasized that the enforcement measures were aimed at protecting public health and ensuring the safety and quality of medical products, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic conditions.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to upholding regulatory standards and vowed not to be deterred by what it described as attempts to derail its reform efforts.

The statement was signed by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.