The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said it reduced penalty charges for Onitsha Bridge Head Market drug traders due to economic conditions and persistent pleas from shop owners.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known on Friday during a press briefing at the agency’s office in Lagos.

She explained that the enforcement operation, carried out between February 9 and March 27, 2025, led to the seizure and destruction of expired, banned, and counterfeit drugs worth over a trillion naira in three open drug markets, Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha.

According to her, two key administrative charges were enforced: an investigative fee of N5 million for the sale of unregistered products, which was later reduced to N200,000; and a separate N2 million charge for violating Good Storage and Distribution Practices, also reduced to N500,000.

“There were a lot of pleas. Irrespective of what they have done, we have to think of the economy and how much they can pay. We don’t know their pulse. That was why we reduced the charges,” she said.

She added, “Between 9th February and 27th March 2025, NAFDAC conducted a raid operation to remove unregistered, expired, banned, diverted donation drugs, substandard, falsified, and illicit narcotics and controlled substances from the three major Open Drug Markets in the country.”

Adeyeye noted that most of the shops and warehouses in the affected markets had no proof of registration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and failed to meet minimum safety standards.

She said over 2,500 traders have resumed operations after paying the reduced fines and undergoing regulatory screening.

“Over 2,500 traders with 3,500 shops who have come forward for the necessary regulatory procedure and paid the investigative charges have resumed their normal activity in Ogbogwu market,” she stated.

Speaking, she warned that past attempts to regulate the market were unsuccessful, and that led to a new decision which she described as holding the key block.

“There was a time that, after shutting the place down for three months, they came and said they will never do it again, and NAFDAC said, ‘Yes, go.’ We wouldn’t have minded to keep to the millions, but some people have politicised the issue,” she said.

“If it is millions, maybe only 10 or 20 shops might have opened, and they will use it for their own selfish gain. So it was because of the economy that we decided to reduce the charge. But it will not be the same scenario again.”

She insisted that the agency would continue to enforce drug laws and protect public health through sustained regulation and enforcement.