The Senate has passed the Counterfeit Medical Products, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2026, for second reading, proposing a 15-year prison term, multi-million-naira fines, total asset forfeiture, and mandatory compensation for victims of fake drug-related crimes. Senator Suleiman Umar Sadiq (APC, Kwara North), sponsor of the bill, described counterfeit medicines as "weapons of mass destruction" and said the current 2004 law is outdated and ineffective against modern criminal networks using advanced manufacturing and digital platforms to distribute fake drugs. The proposed legislation would empower NAFDAC to deploy modern tracking and tracing technologies to detect counterfeit products across the supply chain and establish a national multi-agency task force with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria to disrupt smuggling operations. It also grants exclusive jurisdiction over fake drug cases to the Federal High Court, introduces accelerated trial procedures, and allows electronic evidence in prosecutions. President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further review, with a report expected in the coming weeks. On the same day, the Senate also passed a second reading for a bill to create a legal framework for electronic health services in Nigeria, titled 'A Bill for an Act to Provide for a Comprehensive Legal and Regulatory Framework for the Development, Coordination and Integration of Electronic Health Services in Nigeria and for Related Matters, 2026 (SB. 758)', aimed at enabling telemedicine, electronic medical records, and nationwide health data integration.
Senator Suleiman Umar Sadiq calls fake drugs "weapons of mass destruction" while pushing for 15-year sentences, yet the same Senate has not acted on past audit reports showing diverted NAFDAC funds meant for enforcement. If tracking technology and task forces are now critical, the failure to secure existing resources raises doubts about the state's capacity to implement even tougher laws. Nigerians exposed to fake drugs today may see little change if enforcement infrastructure remains underfunded and unaccountable. The real test is not stiffer penalties on paper, but whether agencies get the consistent backing they need to act.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
