The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has clarified that the widely used antibiotic drug, Amoxicillin, has not been banned in the country.
The agency explained that, contrary to reports on social media, Amoxicillin has not been secretly or openly banned in Nigeria.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement on Monday, clarified that there has been no blanket ban on Amoxicillin in Nigeria.
“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,” she said.
According to her, NAFDAC alerts the public through its recalls, safety alerts, blacklists, and other safety notices of any substandard, falsified, or affected products requiring regulatory action.
“These safety communications clearly outline the specific product names, batch numbers, manufacturers, and the necessary measures to be taken. They provide critical information that may impact treatment and diagnostic decisions for healthcare providers and patients.
“Blacklisting, where applicable, involves prohibiting specific companies from the sale, distribution, or use of their products due to safety concerns, regulatory violations, or unethical practices,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG clarified that in recent months, the agency issued targeted safety alerts on certain brands and batches of Amoxicillin.
“In August 2025, Public Alert No. 24/2025 announced the recall of Amoxivue (Amoxicillin) 500mg capsules due to low Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) content.
“In October 2025, Public Alert No. 34/2025 addressed substandard batches of Astamocil and Astamentin suspensions, while Public Alert No. 35/2025 notified the public of substandard batches of Annmox and Jawamox suspensions.
“These actions were specific to identified products and do not constitute a ban on Amoxicillin,” Adeyey said.
The NAFDAC boss urged members of the public to disregard the misleading video and rely on verified recalls and safety alerts published on the agency’s website.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.
