In an urgent alert, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered dangerous counterfeit versions of the anti-malarial drug Artemetrin DS and the antibiotic Ciprofit 500 circulating in Nigeria, putting countless lives at risk.
According to NAFDAC’s official statement (No. 030/2025), lab tests exposed the shocking truth, showing that the fake drugs are woefully ineffective. The counterfeit Artemetrin DS, falsely branded as a product of A.C. Drugs Ltd in Enugu State, contains just 59.2% artemether and 71.2% lumefantrine, which is far below the potency needed to fight malaria. Likewise, the fake Ciprofit 500, masquerading as a product of Impact Pharmaceutical Ltd, holds a measly 5.7% ciprofloxacin, rendering it useless against infections.
“The implications of substandard anti-malarials in a malaria-endemic country like Nigeria cannot be overstated,” a NAFDAC spokesperson declared. “These falsified products undermine treatment efficacy and could lead to preventable deaths.”
Both drugs are unregistered in NAFDAC’s database, with fake registration numbers slapped on their packaging. The agency has urged Nigerians to stop using the products immediately, return any stocks to NAFDAC offices, and seek urgent medical care if they’ve experienced side effects or failed treatment after using them.
This warning comes hot on the heels of NAFDAC’s massive seizure of fake malaria drugs worth ₦1.2 billion in Lagos on September 12. The agency has also flagged counterfeit contraceptives, Oxytocin injections, and milk products this year, signaling a growing crisis.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, vowed to crack down harder: “With the full support of the government, we will continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement to eliminate these threats.”
The agency called on healthcare providers, distributors, and consumers to double-check products via NAFDAC’s online database, buy only from licensed sources, and report suspicious cases through its hotline or email.
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