A man has reacted online after he and his family finished taking a drug and then compared dates. The packaging showed an expiry date of 2029. The date he found on the NAFDAC website showed 2025. He expressed alarm at the difference.
A Date on a Box and a Date on a Website May Not Mean the Same Thing (Registration Validity Versus Batch Expiry)
There is one possible explanation. A drug approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) receives a certificate of registration valid for five years, and it must be renewed. That registration date is separate from the date printed on a pack. NAFDAC’s regulations describe the expiry date as one set for each batch, found on the container label, up to which the drug is expected to stay within specification.
So a website could show a registration that ended in 2025, while a newer batch of the same product shows 2029 on the carton. One guide says an expired registration is paperwork status and not a use-by date. It also says a product still being restocked years after its registration died deserves real suspicion. We cannot tell whether that fits this case.
The Other Possibility: Errors in the Checking Tools Themselves (A Database Is the Digital Record Used to Verify Products)
There is a second possibility. Mistakes can exist in the checkers. In July 2026, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism tested NAFDAC’s verification tools. It reported that the Greenbook app returned relevant information for only three of seven medicines tested.
It also found date mismatches in another NAFDAC system. A product with a 2028 date on the carton showed 2027 on the portal. A second product with a 2028 date on the container showed 2013 online. A NAFDAC official told the reporter the second product was safe to use, but she declined to comment on the mismatch. The report suggests that a mismatch alone does not prove a drug is fake or unsafe.
When Fake Dates Are Real: Earlier Cases of Falsified Expiry Information
Even so, false dates are a known danger. In April 2025, NAFDAC warned about a falsified version of an antimalarial drug. The company said the genuine batch was made in December 2018 and expired in November 2020. The fake carried a later date, with manufacturing in April 2023 and expiry in March 2026.
In July 2025, NAFDAC arrested three people after finding expired chemicals worth over ₦1 billion. Officials said packaging with fake expiry dates had been printed, and some goods were wrongly labelled “Made in China”. This month, NAFDAC arrested two suspects at a Lagos facility accused of using chemicals to remove expiry dates from expired drinks.
These cases show why the public takes date mismatches seriously. They do not show that this drug is fake. Only a check of the actual batch can answer that.
Why People Cannot Easily Verify: Confusing Dates, Complex Tools and Trust Gaps
A buyer must compare many things: a registration number, a batch number, a manufacture date, an expiry date and, in some cases, a scratch-code. NAFDAC’s own system for checking at the point of purchase uses scratch codes sent to one of five service providers. Many people do not know the difference between a registration date and a batch date, and websites rarely explain it.
Printing technology also makes copies harder to spot. A former NAFDAC Director-General, Paul Orhii, once said even expert investigators find it hard to identify a counterfeit drug just by looking at it. When the system is confusing, ordinary people can end up either panicking over a harmless gap or ignoring a real warning.
The Cost of Doubt: Health Risks, Lost Trust and a Wider National Concern
For a family, the practical worry is clear. Taking an expired, fake or poorly stored drug can mean the treatment does not work, or in some cases causes harm. A person who is unwell should seek medical advice, not rely on social media. We do not know whether any harm occurred here.
The effects also reach the whole country. If Nigerians cannot trust the official tools meant to protect them, they may avoid checking at all, or begin to doubt even genuine drugs. That weakens public health efforts and benefits those who sell fake products. It can also hurt honest manufacturers and pharmacies, whose products are caught in the doubt.
Practical Fixes: Clearer Data, Simple Public Checks and Fast Answers From NAFDAC
NAFDAC can make its websites and apps show two dates clearly labelled: “registration valid until” and “batch expiry”. Where a batch is on record, it should show that date too. It should also fix known errors quickly and respond publicly when viral cases arise.
Consumers can take simple steps. They can buy from licensed pharmacies, keep the box and batch number, and check the product through NAFDAC’s official channels. If they suspect a problem, they can report it. NAFDAC’s alerts say reports can go through its Med-Safety app, its e-reporting platforms or by email. Pharmacists can help by explaining the difference between registration and expiry dates at the counter.
Clear Dates, Clear Answers: Our Reading of a Small Gap With Big Stakes
We do not claim to know why these two dates differ. They may reflect a simple difference between registration and batch dates. They may also reflect an error in a database, or a problem with the product itself. Each has different consequences.
We urge NAFDAC to look into this case and explain it publicly. If the website was wrong, it should be fixed. If the product was suspect, the batch should be traced.
We also ask readers not to panic. If you or a family member feels unwell after taking any medicine, speak to a doctor or pharmacist. Keep the packaging and report your concern to NAFDAC. Trust in medicines depends on clear information, and on quick answers when it fails.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
