In a bold step to protect Nigerians—especially children—from fake and harmful medicines, NAFDAC has launched powerful new tools to fight back.

At a two-day event in Lagos, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Fraden Bitrus, announced three major tools to keep fake drugs off the streets and out of homes.

The three major initiatives include:

• NAFDAC Green Book– a simple online tool that lets anyone check if a medicine is truly approved by NAFDAC. Just type in the product name or NAFDAC number. If it’s listed, it’s safe. If not—stay away.

• Pharmaceutical Products Traceability Regulation 2024– a new rule that says every drug must now have a unique code. This way, health officials can track where each medicine comes from, all the way to the patient.

• Paediatric Regulation 2024 –Sets stricter standards for children’s medicines, ensuring safety and efficacy.

“These fake drugs are made by people who care only about money—not human life,” Bitrus said. “This Green Book is like a weapon against them. It helps you know if a drug is real or fake—before you buy or use it.”

He explained how this system already helped NAFDAC during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout—bad vaccines were tracked down and removed within 24 hours.

NAFDAC also showed off its Scan-to-Verify app, which lets anyone check a drug’s authenticity using just a phone.

Bitrus said some manufacturers haven’t submitted all the details of their products yet. Without that, the Green Book can’t be complete. “We’re calling on all drug makers—do your part. Help protect lives,” he said.

NAFDAC’s Southwest Director, Mrs. Roselyn Ajayi, added that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility. “NAFDAC cannot do this alone,” she said.

“This is more than a policy update—it’s a serious call to action. Let’s work together to keep our families, especially our children, safe.”