The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking tougher penalties for individuals and organisations involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines and unsafe processed foods.
Gatekeepers News reports that the proposed Counterfeit Medical Products, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2026 (SB.951), sponsored by Senator Umar Suleiman (Kwara North), prescribes up to 15 years’ imprisonment for medicine hawkers, alongside asset forfeiture, compensation for victims and expanded enforcement powers for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
If enacted, the bill will repeal the existing Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act and replace it with a new legal framework designed to tackle emerging threats such as online drug sales, cross-border trafficking, sophisticated counterfeiting methods and organised criminal networks.
Leading the debate, Suleiman said the current law is no longer adequate to address the evolving tactics of counterfeit drug syndicates.
According to him, the proposed legislation is intended to protect Nigerians from preventable deaths and disabilities caused by fake medicines while strengthening public confidence in the healthcare system and the legitimate pharmaceutical industry.
“This bill criminalises the production, importation, manufacture, transportation, distribution, sale, possession and facilitation of counterfeit medical products, fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods.
“It also outlaws the production or possession of counterfeit labels, wrappers, packaging materials and equipment used in the manufacture of fake products,” he said.
The bill also seeks to prohibit the sale and hawking of medicines in unauthorised locations, including open markets, motor parks, roadside stalls, buses, ferries and unlicensed online platforms.
Speaking after the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said concerns raised by lawmakers regarding the relationship between the proposed legislation and the NAFDAC Act would be addressed during the committee stage.
“Offenders risk up to 15 years’ imprisonment, heavy fines, compensation to victims or their families, sanctions against corporate organisations and their directors, as well as forfeiture of assets linked to the offences,” Akpabio said.
To strengthen enforcement, the bill empowers NAFDAC to deploy modern product-tracking technologies, establish national and state enforcement task forces, inspect facilities, seize counterfeit products, arrest suspects, seal premises and enhance surveillance at the nation’s ports of entry.
It also gives the Federal High Court exclusive jurisdiction over offences under the proposed law and provides for accelerated trials to ensure faster prosecution of offenders.
Suleiman described the bill as a critical public health intervention that would protect consumers, safeguard legitimate businesses and align Nigeria’s anti-counterfeit regulatory framework with international best practices.
The proposal received broad support from senators during the debate, although some lawmakers called for greater clarity on how the bill would align with the existing NAFDAC Act before its final passage.
