Nollywood actress and ROK TV boss, Mary Remmy Njoku, has raised an urgent alarm over the quality of medications sold in Nigeria. In a personal and emotional post shared on July 15 via her verified Instagram handle, the filmmaker recounted how a locally bought anti-diarrheal drug failed to work despite days of usage—only for the same medication sourced abroad to work “within five minutes.”
The actress, 40, revealed she was battling a bout of food poisoning while filming on a movie set and had sent a staff member to purchase Imodium from one of Nigeria’s largest pharmacy chains. Despite taking the medication religiously for three consecutive days, she said her symptoms persisted without any relief.
But the twist came when her husband, Jason Njoku, returned from a trip abroad with the same medication—an imported version. According to Mary, the imported tablet worked almost instantly.
“I took it, and within five minutes, my stomach calmed down. Just five minutes!” — she said in disbelief.
Clearly unsettled by the incident, Njoku questioned whether Nigerians are being sold fake or substandard drugs, calling on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to take urgent action.
“Nigerian medications are losing their potency!!!!! What exactly are we being sold in Nigeria? Imagine taking medication believing you’ll get better, and then dying from something completely treatable because the drugs didn’t work. NAFDAC HELP!!!”
She further emphasized this wasn’t her first encounter with underperforming medication purchased in Nigeria.
Mary Njoku’s experience isn’t an isolated one. Many Nigerians in her comment section echoed similar experiences. Several users claimed they too had taken drugs that failed to work, only to later find relief with imported or foreign-sourced versions of the same medications.
One user wrote:
“NAFDAC died with Dora Akunyili.”
Another shared:
“I used a Postinor my husband got. I’m now pregnant with twins.”
Others described buying anti-malarial drugs only to find themselves still testing positive weeks later, suggesting widespread inefficacy.
The revelation has sparked yet another wave of conversation around the state of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical regulation, with many calling out NAFDAC’s perceived silence and inaction in recent years.
Critics argue that a dangerous influx of counterfeit or poorly formulated medications is endangering lives, and with trust in the system eroding fast, public health could be at serious risk.
While NAFDAC has yet to issue an official response to Njoku’s viral post, the message is clear—Nigerians are demanding accountability.
In a country where access to proper healthcare is already a challenge for millions, the idea that even trusted pharmacies may be distributing substandard drugs has left many citizens asking:
“If Mary Njoku can’t trust what’s on the shelves, what chance does the average Nigerian have?”
This isn’t just about one actress’s experience—it’s about life and death.
