Abuja, Nigeria — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has officially banned over 100 medical products, including Artemether/Lumefantrine 40mg/240mg tablets marketed by Healthline Limited.
The agency announced the decision in a recent public notice, stating that the affected products have been withdrawn, suspended, or had their registration cancelled. This means they are no longer allowed to be manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, distributed, sold, or used in Nigeria.
Why the Ban?
According to NAFDAC, product registration certificates can be:
Cancelled when the registration license is revoked by the agency.
Suspended if the conditions for approval are no longer met.
Withdrawn when the product’s market authorization holder requests discontinuation.
The full list of the 101 affected products has been published by NAFDAC for public access.
Collaboration with Pharmacists
During a recent engagement, Dr. Festus Ukadike, NAFDAC’s Southeast Zonal Director, urged the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Enugu Chapter, to collaborate with the agency in combating substandard and falsified medicines.
“Pharmacists are critical stakeholders in safeguarding public health. We need their active support to ensure only safe, effective, and quality medicines reach Nigerians,” he said.
ACPN Enugu chairman, Kenneth Amafidegbe, pledged the association’s full cooperation with NAFDAC’s regulatory mandate. State coordinator, Collins Ogedegbe, also reminded members to comply with registration requirements for all regulated products.
Recent Crackdowns
This move comes as NAFDAC intensifies its fight against unsafe products. Recently, the agency sealed Shine Shine Skincare, a cosmetic facility in Agege, Lagos, for producing harmful and unregistered bleaching creams under unsafe conditions.
NAFDAC has also intercepted shipments of fake malaria drugs worth over ₦1.2 billion, issued alerts on counterfeit medications with fake registration numbers, and reinforced its commitment to protecting Nigerians from life-threatening products.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC’s Director-General, reaffirmed that the agency remains determined to eliminate unsafe medicines and products from Nigerian markets.
