The National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm. Ezeh Igwekamma, has expressed deep concern about the return of fake drugs in Nigeria. He said that more than half of the medicines being sold in the country today are either fake or of poor quality.
He spoke ahead of the association’s 44th Annual International Conference, which will take place from July 22 to 27, 2025, in Awka, Anambra State. He said the situation is a serious health crisis for the country and needs urgent action from lawmakers and regulators.
In a public statement, Igwekamma warned that Nigeria may be going back to the dark times before the year 2000 when fake drugs were widespread and drug control agencies were weak.
He explained that new research by the ACPN shows over 50% of medicines in the Nigerian market are fake. This is much higher than the government’s claim of only 13 to 15%.
He blamed the rise in fake drugs on the breakdown of law enforcement at both national and state levels. He said that drug control teams that used to work actively have now almost stopped functioning.
Igwekamma said, “Our trusted research shows that we are once again seeing over 50% of drugs being fake or low quality.”
He added that fake drugs, food, and drinks are now a serious concern in Nigeria. He said the amount of harmful products in the market today is frightening.
The ACPN leader said that people are dying or not getting better because they are using fake medicines. He warned that Nigeria is reliving its troubled past.
He said that while the late Prof. Dora Akunyili helped reduce fake drugs during her time at NAFDAC, the problem has returned strongly in the past five years.
Igwekamma praised NAFDAC for working with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria to close down the Sabon-Geri drug market after opening Nigeria’s first Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Kano.
He explained that these Coordinated Wholesale Centres are meant to replace the old open drug markets, as required by the 2015 National Drug Distribution Guidelines. He urged continued efforts to shut down the over five million illegal drug shops across Nigeria.
The ACPN chairman asked the National Assembly to quickly update the law on fake drugs and unsafe processed food.
He said the current law is too weak to stop the massive illegal trade, which he described as being run by “modern-day merchants of death.”
Speaking about the upcoming ACPN conference, Igwekamma said it will focus on using technology and personalized care to improve pharmacy services in Nigeria.
He stressed that using technology is now essential. He called for the use of artificial intelligence, telepharmacy, digital records, and patient-focused care to make pharmacy services safer and more accessible to Nigerians.
He thanked the government and people of Anambra State for their strong support. He said Awka would be a great location for discussing the future of pharmacy in Nigeria.
Themed “Technology Integration, Personalized Care: The Future of Community Pharmacy Practice,” the conference will bring together over 3,000 participants. These will include pharmacists, tech experts, policy makers, researchers, and industry leaders from around the world.
Events at the conference will include a walk against fake medicines, keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, policy discussions, and exhibitions of new pharmaceutical technologies.
