By Our Reporter
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denied reports claiming it has secretly banned the antibiotic, Amoxicillin, in Nigeria.
In a public notice shared on its social media handles on Monday, 9 February 2026, NAFDAC stated that the claim is entirely false. The agency clarified that while it routinely issues targeted safety alerts and recalls for specific substandard or affected batches of medicines, there is no blanket ban on Amoxicillin.
“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,” the statement read.
The agency emphasised that its safety communications, including Recalls, Safety Alerts, and Blacklists, provide details on specific product names, batch numbers, manufacturers, and necessary actions to protect patients and healthcare providers. Blacklisting, where applicable, targets companies for safety concerns, regulatory violations, or unethical practices and not entire drug categories.
NAFDAC cited recent targeted alerts for specific Amoxicillin products: In August 2025, Public Alert No. 24/2025 recalled Amoxivue 500mg capsules due to low active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) content.
In October 2025, Public Alerts Nos. 34 and 35 addressed substandard batches of Astamocil, Astamentin, Annmox, and Jawamox suspensions.
“These actions were specific to identified products and do not constitute a ban on Amoxicillin,” the agency added, urging the public, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders to rely only on verified updates from official NAFDAC channels.
