A Nigerian man has raised an alarm over conflicting expiry dates on a drug his family had finished taking. The packaging showed an expiry date of 2029. When he checked the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s website, the recorded expiry was 2025. His family had consumed the full course before discovering the discrepancy. He shared the findings online.
NAFDAC maintains a product registration database. The database lists approved products with their registration numbers and expiry dates. The agency has encouraged consumers to verify products before purchase. The system has gaps. The database is not always updated. Some products carry revalidated registration numbers. Others use numbers copied from different products. In 2023, NAFDAC warned about fake drugs with cloned registration numbers. In 2024, it shut down illegal factories using falsified numbers. The current case exposes a verification gap. Even consumers who check the database can be misled.
The man said his family had taken the drug. He did not name the product. He did not say where he bought it. He did not say whether he reported the matter to NAFDAC. The packaging showed an expiry date of 2029. The NAFDAC website showed 2025. That is a four-year gap. The drug was expired according to the regulator. It was still on sale according to the packaging. The family consumed it.
The discrepancy could have several causes. The product may be counterfeit. The packaging may have been altered. The NAFDAC database may be outdated. The manufacturer may have changed the expiry date without updating the registration. NAFDAC has not responded. The agency has not issued a statement on the specific case. The product has not been named. No recall has been announced.
The case highlights the risks consumers face. Verification is not always reliable. Counterfeiters adapt. They exploit gaps in the system. The consumer cannot easily determine which date is correct. The regulator must investigate. It must publish findings. It must act if the product is unsafe.
The broader context is Nigeria’s counterfeit problem. NAFDAC destroyed ₦22.73 billion in fake products between January and August 2026. It conducted 213 raids. It arrested 52 suspects. The market is vast. Enforcement is thin. Consumers bear the risk.
Winners: The man, who gains attention. Bloggers, who gain content. The counterfeiters, if the product was fake and they escaped detection. Losers: The man and his family, who may have consumed expired or fake medicine. Consumers, who cannot trust packaging or database. NAFDAC, whose verification system is questioned. Legitimate manufacturers, who face unfair competition. The health system, which loses trust.
Bottom Line: The pack said 2029. NAFDAC said 2025. The family finished the course. The alarm is necessary. The regulator must explain. The product must be traced. Consumers deserve to know what they take.