You feel a headache coming. You stop at the nearest chemist, buy paracetamol, take two tablets, and wait. An hour later, nothing has changed.
You assume your headache is stubborn. But what if the problem isn't your headache? What if it's the drug itself?
This is a reality many Nigerians face without ever realising it.
The Problem Is Bigger Than You Think
Nigeria has one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in Africa. Millions of drug purchases happen every single day in pharmacies, open markets, motor parks, and on the side of the road. The problem is that not all of what is being sold has been properly verified.
A NAFDAC report estimated that nearly 30% of medicines in Nigeria's open markets are either substandard or counterfeit.
That is roughly 3 out of every 10 drugs. And 'substandard' doesn't just mean 'ineffective' it can mean dangerous.
What Does "Substandard" Actually Mean?
A substandard drug does not meet the quality standards it was supposed to meet. It may contain too little of the active ingredient, the wrong ingredient entirely, or it may have been stored or manufactured poorly.
It has a label; it has a NAFDAC number, and it looks real. But it doesn't work the way it should.
This is different from a drug that simply expired. Substandard drugs can look perfectly fine. Same colour. Same packaging. Same name. The danger is invisible.
NAFDAC is Fighting Back – But Needs Your Help
The good news is that Nigeria's regulators are not sitting still. Between July and December 2024 alone, NAFDAC seized and destroyed over ₦120 billion worth of substandard and falsified medicines and unwholesome food products across the country.
In early 2025, NAFDAC, working with the Nigerian Army, conducted a month-long operation across major drug markets in Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos, intercepting over 100 trailers loaded with substandard and counterfeit pharmaceuticals valued at over ₦1 trillion.
That is the scale of what is being fought. And the truth is that NAFDAC cannot be everywhere at once. The market is too big. That is where you come in.
The Simple Step That Could Protect You
Before you take any drug, whether it's for malaria, pain, infections, or anything else, verify it.
Every NAFDAC-registered product has a registration number on the pack. That number can be checked instantly.
NAFDAC's Director General has urged Nigerians to always buy from outlets with identifiable addresses, to avoid products that do not carry NAFDAC numbers and to be suspicious when a product is too cheap.
VerifyProducts.ng was built for exactly this moment.
Enter the NAFDAC number or product name and get an instant result; Verified, Alerted, or Not Found. It takes five seconds. It costs nothing.