February 10, (THEWILL) — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified that Amoxicillin has not been banned in Nigeria, dismissing claims circulating on social media as false and misleading.
The clarification follows a social media viral video alleging that NAFDAC had secretly prohibited the sale and use of the antibiotic nationwide.
In a statement on Monday, February 9, NAFDAC explained that while it regularly issues targeted safety alerts, recalls, and blacklists for specific substandard or affected batches of medicines, there is no blanket ban on Amoxicillin in the country. It said any regulatory action affecting medicines in circulation is always publicly announced through official and verifiable channels.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to debunk a video circulating on social media alleging that the agency has secretly banned the sale and use of Amoxicillin in Nigeria. This claim is false and devoid of any factual basis. NAFDAC has not banned Amoxicillin in Nigeria, either secretly or openly. As a responsible regulatory authority, the agency publicly notifies Nigerians of any regulatory actions through official channels”, the agency said.
According to NAFDAC, its safety communications are product-specific and aimed at protecting public health without disrupting access to essential medicines. Such alerts clearly identify affected products, including their names, batch numbers, manufacturers and the corrective measures required.
The agency disclosed that in recent months, it issued targeted safety alerts on certain brands and batches of Amoxicillin. These include Public Alert No. 24/2025 issued in August 2025 on the recall of Amoxivue (Amoxicillin) 500mg capsules due to low Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) content.
In October 2025, NAFDAC also released Public Alert No. 34/2025 on substandard batches of Astamocil and Astamentin suspensions, as well as Public Alert No. 35/2025 covering substandard batches of Annmox and Jawamox suspensions.
The agency also recalled that in September 2025 it withdrew, suspended and cancelled 101 pharmaceutical products from the Nigerian market, barring them from manufacture, importation, distribution, sale and use in Nigeria. The products spanned anti-malarials, cardiovascular drugs, insulin, diabetes medicines, inhalers and eye drops.
NAFDAC stressed that these actions were limited to the identified products and do not amount to a ban on Amoxicillin. It emphasised that the actions reflect its continued efforts to ensure that medicines available in Nigeria meet required safety, quality and efficacy standards, in line with its responsibility to safeguard public health.
The agency noted that Amoxicillin remains a widely used and essential antibiotic for treating bacterial infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis and ear infections. It warned that misinformation suggesting a nationwide ban could disrupt treatment, encourage panic buying or lead patients to abandon prescribed medication.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to rely on verified information from its official platforms, reiterating that regulatory transparency remains central to its mandate.
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