The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reopened the Onitsha Headbridge drug market, under strict regulatory conditions as part of its intensified efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s open drug markets and protect public health.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, clarified that over 2,500 traders managing 3,500 shops have complied with the new requirements in which they paid N200,000 and N500,000 administrative charges respectively.
The agency had earlier screened over 6,000 shops in Onitsha, where a majority were found to have violated critical safety and regulatory standards.
The charges, which were reduced after public pleas due to economic concerns, were originally pegged at N5 million for the sale of unregistered products and N2 million for violations of Good Storage and Distribution Practices. Following negotiations, the charges were reduced to N200,000 and N500,000 respectively.
According to Adeyeye, the reopening of the market on March 9, 2025, was conditional and targeted only at traders who complied with regulatory requirements and paid stipulated investigative charges.
“There is no unconditional opening of shops,” Adeyeye said. “Every trader had to come to our office in Onitsha, pick up their charges, and sign an undertaking. This is to ensure that no one stays there permanently without regulatory oversight. Only those who have paid and complied with regulations have been allowed to reopen their shops.”
On whether the market fully reopened now, Adeyeye said, “Only compliant traders have been allowed to reopen.
“Hundreds of shops remain shut, especially those involved in illegal drug activities, such as selling unregistered narcotics.
“The agency plans to relocate all open drug markets to Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) for better regulation. These centers are being constructed in Lagos, Aba, and Kano to ensure that drug sales are conducted under proper regulatory oversight.
“The CWCs ensures that drugs sold are safe, effective, and of good quality. It will reduce the incidence of preventable deaths caused by substandard drugs and improve public health and life expectancy.”
Speaking further, the director general of NAFDAC stated that the enforcement action is part of a broader operation conducted between February 9 and March 27, 2025, during which NAFDAC shut down open drug markets in Idumota (Lagos), Aba, and Onitsha. The raid resulted in the seizure of banned, expired, and falsified narcotic medicines worth over a trillion Naira.
Adeyeye emphasised that the agency acted within its statutory mandate, driven by the urgent need to end the circulation of substandard drugs which have led to numerous preventable deaths, particularly among pregnant women and individuals with chronic conditions.
She condemned the actions of some traders, particularly those involved in the illegal sale of narcotics, who have resisted the agency’s reform efforts and spread misinformation. “Those who violated our regulations are the ones spreading propaganda. But NAFDAC is standing strong—we are not backing down,” she said.
NAFDAC’s ultimate goal is to relocate all drug markets to Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) across the country, where they can be properly monitored and regulated.
“This isn’t just about closing shops—it’s about saving lives,” said Adeyeye. “It’s no longer business as usual. We must stop the circulation of fake and dangerous drugs that destroy lives.”
Echezona Okafor.
