The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHDA, said that over 70% of medicines being dispense in Nigeria were substandard. The agency noted that the majority of Nigerians did not have access to quality health services.
Similarly, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in collaboration with other sister agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control recently destroyed 48 containers of substandard drugs coming into the country. This could be a confirmation of what NPHDA said.
According to medical experts, some of the health issues ranging from loss of sight and hearing defects; as well as kidney and liver issues are cause by substandard drugs or abuse thereof.
Nigeria is the most counterfeit market in the developing world, according to Bloomberg, occupying a top seat among African countries losing thousands of citizens annually to fake drugs. About 120,000 Africans die annually, according to Brazzaville Foundation.