The issue of fake drugs in Nigeria is indeed a pressing concern that requires immediate attention from the government and all stakeholders involved. In my opinion, a combination of digitizing the distribution process and stricter regulation is the way forward. By leveraging technology, we can create a more transparent and accountable system where every step of the medicine supply chain is tracked and monitored. This can be achieved through the use of blockchain technology, which can help to prevent counterfeiting and ensure that only genuine medicines reach the market. Additionally, the government should prioritize stricter regulation, including regular inspections of pharmacies and street markets, as well as stricter penalties for those found guilty of selling fake or substandard drugs.

The prevalence of fake drugs is a major public health crisis in Nigeria, and solving it requires a dual approach rather than choosing between digitization or regulation alone. Stricter regulation and enforcement are essential to hold criminal syndicates accountable, but digitizing the supply chain through technologies like track-and-trace systems is the only way to ensure real-time transparency from the manufacturer to the patient. Personally, I think the government should prioritize empowering NAFDAC to conduct more frequent, unannounced inspections of wholesale hubs while also incentivizing local manufacturing to reduce our reliance on questionable imports. Educating the public to always verify medicine using tools like the NAFDAC mobile authentication service is also a critical step we can take right now to protect our families. Ultimately, a combination of technology, aggressive law enforcement, and consumer awareness is the only path toward restoring trust in our pharmacy shelves.

Tackling the rise of counterfeit drugs requires a dual approach because neither stricter regulation nor digitization can solve this alone without better enforcement. While digitizing the supply chain through technologies like blockchain or NAFDAC’s mobile authentication service is vital for tracking products from factory to pharmacy, these systems only work if regulators actively punish those who bypass them. The government should prioritize strengthening border security and empowering NAFDAC to conduct more frequent, random spot checks in informal markets where most of these fake drugs circulate. We also need a massive public awareness campaign to teach Nigerians how to use verification apps, as many people still ignore the scratch-off codes on medicine packs. Ultimately, creating a safer system means combining high-tech monitoring with a much harder line against the criminal networks profiting from these dangerous products.