Mary Remmy Njoku NAFDAC Warning Sparks Drug Safety Concerns
Mary Remmy Njoku NAFDAC warning follows her Imodium scare on set, urging investigation into fake drugs and public health risks across Nigerian pharmacies
The Mary Remmy Njoku NAFDAC warning has ignited serious debate over the safety of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria, following her personal account of taking ineffective medication sourced from a local pharmacy chain.
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The Nollywood actress and filmmaker shared the alarming experience on Instagram, calling on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to urgently investigate the circulation of fake or substandard drugs in Nigeria.
Njoku explained that she suffered food poisoning while filming and was treated with Imodium, a common anti-diarrhoeal drug. However, after three days of no improvement using the Nigerian-sourced medicine, she was given the same drug bought abroad by her husband—and the symptoms subsided in just five minutes.
“This isn’t the first time I have noticed a difference. So I have to ask: What exactly are we being sold in Nigeria? What’s going on with our drugs? This is a public health risk and NAFDAC must take it seriously. This is very dangerous,” Njoku stated.
The actress stressed that the drug was purchased from a well-known pharmacy chain, adding weight to her concerns that even reputable outlets might unknowingly sell ineffective or counterfeit products.
She added, “I want to share a recent experience: I had food poisoning on a set and sent a staff member to buy Imodium from a well-known pharmacy chain in Nigeria. A medication I’ve used many times before. I took it for about three days, but my symptoms persisted. Then my husband bought a tiny tablet of the same Imodium from abroad, and after taking it, my stomach issues subsided within just five minutes.”
This is a public health risk and NAFDAC must take it seriously. This is very dangerous.
The Mary Remmy Njoku NAFDAC warning has since sparked widespread reactions online, with Nigerians sharing similar concerns over the quality and authenticity of medications available locally.
Several users echoed her frustrations, recounting personal experiences with drugs that failed to work as expected.
Medical professionals and consumer rights advocates have also called for immediate action, urging NAFDAC to increase regulatory surveillance, audit pharmacies, and clamp down on counterfeit drug networks.
NAFDAC has yet to release an official response to Njoku’s complaint, but the growing calls for investigation place additional pressure on the agency to address the matter swiftly.
The incident underscores long-standing concerns about Nigeria’s drug distribution system, where fake, expired, or diluted products have repeatedly infiltrated the market—often with devastating consequences.
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As the conversation spreads, the Mary Remmy Njoku NAFDAC warning may serve as a wake-up call for regulators, health officials, and the wider public to prioritise medicine safety and restore trust in the country’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
