ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a nationwide alert after falsified versions of Postinor-2, a widely used emergency contraceptive pill, were discovered in circulation.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, said the counterfeit products were flagged by the Society of Family Health, the authorised distributor of Postinor-2 in Nigeria, which confirmed it had not imported the suspect batches.
Investigators identified two counterfeit versions of the drug.
The first carried batch number T36184B with a manufacturing date of August 2024 and expiry date of August 2028.
The second bore batch number 332, with manufacturing and expiry dates of March 2023 and February 2027 respectively.
Both packages displayed the National Registration Number 04-698.
NAFDAC said the counterfeits were distinguishable by several printing errors, including a smaller font on the pin verification sticker and misspellings such as “verify” and “distributed.”
The agency warned that using falsified Postinor-2 could result in contraceptive failure, exposure to harmful contaminants, unpredictable side effects, and in extreme cases, organ damage or death.
“Counterfeit medicines are unregulated, untested, and illegal, making their safety and efficacy impossible to guarantee,” the statement read.
“Patients should only obtain Postinor-2 from verified pharmacies or licensed healthcare providers.”
NAFDAC said its zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to intensify surveillance to identify and remove falsified products from circulation.
The regulator also urged distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to exercise heightened vigilance and ensure medical products are sourced exclusively from authorised suppliers.
The agency said investigations into the origin of the counterfeit drugs are continuing.
