By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has introduced a set of innovative regulatory tools to strengthen the fight against falsified and substandard medical products in Nigeria.
The tools include the NAFDAC Green Book, the 2024 Pharmaceutical Products Traceability Regulation, and the 2024 Paediatric Regulation.
The initiatives were unveiled at a two-day stakeholder sensitisation workshop which began on Tuesday in Lagos, drawing participants from the medical, pharmaceutical, military, and regulatory sectors.
Speaking at the event, NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Fraden Bitrus, described the Green Book as a vital online database that enables pharmacists, health workers, and consumers to verify if a medical product is duly registered and approved by the agency.
Calling it a “digital weapon” against counterfeit drugs, Bitrus said, “These counterfeit products are often produced by unscrupulous individuals and their foreign collaborators whose aim is to make profit at the expense of human lives. The Green Book empowers users to confirm a product’s authenticity by entering its name, brand, or NAFDAC registration number.”
He noted that while the platform has great potential to protect consumers, full implementation requires all manufacturers to submit accurate information for their products.
“We urge marketing authorisation holders to provide the necessary details to ensure the Green Book is fully populated,” he added.
Another major highlight was the unveiling of the Pharmaceutical Products Traceability Regulation 2024, which mandates that all drugs in circulation carry a unique identifier.
This system enables real-time tracking of drugs from manufacturers to end-users, ensuring accountability across the supply chain.
“NAFDAC is leading the way in Africa, and globally only second to introduce such advanced pharmaceutical traceability,” Bitrus said, citing successful use of the system during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, where substandard batches were quickly traced and recalled.
Also demonstrated was the Scan-to-Verify app, which allows mobile phone users to instantly confirm the authenticity of registered medical products.
The 2024 Paediatric Regulation was presented as a child-focused framework ensuring that all medicines intended for children meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy.
“This regulation recognises children’s unique physiological needs and sets strict measures to ensure what they consume is truly safe,” Bitrus stated.
Director of NAFDAC’s Southwest Zone, Mrs. Roselyn Ajayi, said the evolving regulatory landscape requires constant engagement with stakeholders.
“Twenty years ago, traceability and digitalisation were not even topics of discussion. Today, they are essential. NAFDAC cannot fight this battle alone. It requires shared responsibility,” she said.
She reiterated that educating stakeholders remains one of NAFDAC’s key mandates. “This workshop is not just an update, it’s a call to action,” she declared.
Also speaking, Col. Zaidi Mustapha of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, representing the Corps Commander, praised NAFDAC’s reforms, noting that the initiative equips health professionals with better knowledge and skills to deliver safe, quality healthcare to Nigerians.
“This effort empowers us to protect lives more effectively, especially among the poor,” he said, while pledging the continued support of the Army Medical Corps to NAFDAC’s ongoing reforms.
