NAFDAC Blames Firms For Delays In Updating Drug Registry

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said pharmaceutical companies and marketing authorisation holders are to blame for the delay in updating its Greenbook (drug registry).

The agency disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day sensitisation and awareness workshop in Lagos.

In March 2025, NAFDAC introduced a mobile application (the Greenbook) to help Nigerians verify the authenticity of medical products and fight against counterfeit drugs

The agency said that if a product is listed in the Greenbook, it means it has been registered by NAFDAC and is safe for use.

Speaking at the workshop, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the devastating impact of fake drugs in Nigeria.

Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Fraden Bitrus, said several products registered by NAFDAC are not yet visible on the Greenbook platform because companies have not submitted all the required data.

“Some products are registered but not yet visible on the Green Book because their marketing authorisation holders have not submitted the required information,” Bitrus said.

He urged all drug manufacturers and importers to urgently comply, warning that the delay hinders public access to information on approved medical products and weakens regulatory transparency.

Bitrus said the counterfeit medical products are man-made evil driven by greed, adding that is one form of inhumanity from man to fellow man.

“These counterfeit products are produced by greedy businessmen and their international collaborators who only want to make money. It is one of the worst forms of inhumanity from man to fellow man,” he said.

He further pointed out the agency’s ongoing interventions, including consumer safety publications, daily newspaper alerts on fake drugs, the Shine Your Eye programme on national TV, and the use of digital tools like TrueScan and Media Lab.

Speaking on the Pharmaceutical Products Flexibility Regulation 2024, Bitrus said the system will allow every regulated product, whether imported, exported, manufactured or distributed in Nigeria to carry a unique identifier, enabling full tracking through the supply chain.

Also speaking at the event, NAFDAC’s Director of Southwest Zone, Mrs. Rose Ajayi, said the workshop was designed to ensure that participants leave with a deeper understanding of recent developments in drug product regulation, especially concerning paediatric formulations.

“At the end of this workshop, we expect that participants will be well-informed about the recent developments on drug product regulation, with emphasis on paediatric formulations,” Ajayi said.

The president of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Prof, Ekanem Ekure, lauded the agency for prioritising children’s healthcare and urged stakeholders to support NAFDAC in its laudable efforts to protect the future of the generation.

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) also pledged collaboration with NAFDAC to eradicate hazardous products.

NAFDAC Blames Firms For Delays In Updating Drug Registry is first published on The Whistler Newspaper