NAFDAC Denies Secret Ban on Amoxicillin, Clarifies Targeted Recalls
Abuja, Nigeria – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismissed as false a social media video claiming the agency has secretly banned the antibiotic amoxicillin nationwide. The agency’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, stated in an official release that the allegation has no factual basis.
Professor Adeyeye emphasized that NAFDAC, as a responsible regulatory authority, communicates all significant regulatory actions publicly through its official channels, including safety alerts, recall notices, and product blacklists. These communications are detailed, specifying affected product names, batch numbers, manufacturers, and required actions for healthcare providers and the public.
The clarification follows recent, targeted safety alerts issued by NAFDAC concerning specific brands and batches of amoxicillin products. In August 2025, Public Alert No. 24/2025 announced the recall of Amoxivue (Amoxicillin) 500mg capsules due to insufficient active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) content. Subsequent alerts in October 2025 highlighted substandard batches of Astamocil and Astamentin suspensions (Public Alert unspecified) and, later, substandard batches of Annmox and Jawamox suspensions under Public Alert No. 35/2025.
Professor Adeyeye stressed that these actions pertain exclusively to the identified non-compliant batches and manufacturers. They do not constitute, and have never constituted, a blanket ban on the antibiotic amoxicillin, which remains a critical and legally available medicine for treating bacterial infections in Nigeria.
The public has been advised to disregard the circulating video as inaccurate. NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health through transparent, science-based regulatory oversight. The agency urges citizens to rely solely on information from its official platforms for updates on drug safety and quality.
Background Context
Amoxicillin is a widely used penicillin-class antibiotic. Concerns about substandard and falsified medicines are a significant public health issue across Africa, potentially contributing to antimicrobial resistance and treatment failure. NAFDAC’s routine market surveillance and targeted recalls are part of standard pharmacovigilance practices to ensure only quality-assured products reach patients.
