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By Doris Obinna
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that it has secretly banned the sale and use of amoxicillin in Nigeria, describing the allegation as false and without any factual basis.
Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday, said that the viral video making the claim was misleading and urged members of the public to disregard it. NAFDAC stressed that amoxicillin remains approved for use in the country and has not been banned, either openly or covertly.
The agency explained that as Nigeria’s drug regulatory authority, it communicates all regulatory actions transparently through official channels. These include public recalls, safety alerts, blacklists and other notices issued to inform Nigerians about substandard, falsified or otherwise affected medical products that may pose risks to public health.
According to Adeyeye, such safety communications clearly identify the specific products involved, including their brand names, batch numbers and manufacturers, as well as the actions required of healthcare providers, distributors and consumers. “Where necessary, blacklisting is applied to restrict certain companies from selling or distributing products due to safety concerns, regulatory breaches or unethical practices.”
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NAFDAC noted that recent regulatory actions involving amoxicillin were limited to specific brands and batches found to be substandard, and should not be interpreted as a general ban on the antibiotic. In August 2025, the agency recalled Amoxivue (amoxicillin) 500mg capsules after tests showed low levels of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.
“Further alerts issued in October 2025 addressed substandard batches of Astamocil and Astamentin suspensions, as well as Annmox and Jawamox suspensions.”
The agency emphasised that these actions were targeted interventions aimed at protecting public health and do not affect the overall approval status of amoxicillin in Nigeria.
NAFDAC advised the public to rely only on verified information published on its official website, particularly its recalls and safety alerts page, and warned against spreading unverified content that could cause unnecessary panic or disrupt access to essential medicines.
