To reduce the burden of drug abuse and illicit trafficking to the barest minimum in Nigeria, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) must treat the enforcement of the Pharmacy Act 2022 as a non-negotiable obligation. This includes ensuring that all unauthorised medicine outlets are shut down to restore sanity to a country teetering on the brink of a drug crisis, according to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. (Rtd) Mohammed Buba Marwa.
Marwa, lamenting the systemic loopholes that allow illicit drugs to circulate despite the agency’s interventions at the ports, identified retail medicine stores as major channels for the illegal sale of prescription drugs like tramadol. He revealed that over one million patent medicine stores are operating unlawfully across the country and urged the PCN to commence full enforcement of the Pharmacy Act, which mandates the closure of such premises for the safety and well-being of citizens.
He gave the charge in an exclusive interview with Pharmanews, shortly after delivering his keynote address as the Special Guest of Honour at the 7th Annual Public Lecture and Mid-Year Meeting of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BoF-PSN), held recently at Festival Hotel, Festac, Lagos.
While commending the PCN for its notable efforts to sanitise the retail drug space—particularly through the landmark enactment of the Pharmacy Act 2022—Marwa emphasised that the Council must not relent in ensuring the law is implemented to the letter.
He noted that the Act provides a strong regulatory framework that will enhance the collective ability of regulators to stem the tide of pharmaceutical drug abuse across the nation. He also called for effective collaboration among all regulatory bodies in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
“Tramadol and other prescription medications are now being sold illegally in patent medicine stores across the country,” he said. “In 2019, I was the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, set up by President Buhari’s administration to recommend solutions. One of our researchers at the time, who I believe was the president of PSN, informed us that while about 60,000 patent medicine stores were duly licensed, over one million were operating illegally. This is a major challenge.”
“Despite the passage of the PCN Bill, patients still walk into pharmacies and patent medicine stores to self-prescribe. They simply state what they want—without any doctor’s prescription. This is a critical issue that must be addressed through proper enforcement of the regulations,” he stressed.
Marwa reiterated the need to strengthen prescription regulations and promote responsible medication use. He warned that lax prescription practices significantly contribute to the diversion of medicines and the illicit importation of controlled substances such as tramadol.
He also highlighted the agency’s multi-faceted approach to combating the drug menace, emphasising that cooperation among stakeholders—such as NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, PCN, PSN, and other professional bodies—was essential to achieving lasting results. Beyond collaboration, he described how the NDLEA had intensified its interception and seizure operations, stating that in the last four and a half years, the agency had made over 66,000 arrests, including 95 drug barons.
“We have seized more than 11 million kilograms of drugs,” he noted. “Last year alone, over 200 million tramadol pills were confiscated. We have also secured 12,000 convictions. These figures demonstrate our unrelenting efforts.”
He added that the agency is also focused on public awareness and advocacy, conducting nationwide sensitisation campaigns in schools, markets, motor parks, workplaces, worship centres, and communities to reduce demand and promote drug-free lifestyles.
“I personally take part in some of these advocacy visits,” Marwa said. “I once visited my primary school in Abuja—Olumo Primary School—and engaged the pupils. I asked them, ‘How many of you want to be president? Or speaker? Or minister? Or ambassador?’ I told them, ‘You cannot become any of those things if you take drugs. Stay away from drugs!’ That’s the message we continue to spread.”
Marwa condemned the staggering profits drug barons make from trafficking, citing an example of N80 billion derived from a single 40-foot container of tramadol. He noted that this level of profit incentivises traffickers to devise new ways of circumventing NDLEA efforts but assured Nigerians that the agency would remain resolute in intercepting illicit shipments and arresting those responsible.
He further disclosed that the NDLEA had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Narcotics Control Board, given that India remains a major source of these drugs.
“As we strengthen our internal regulations, we are also fostering international cooperation to block supply chains. Our commitment is total,” Marwa concluded.
