The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a strong warning to Nigerians about the circulation of unregistered and falsified oxytocin injections in the country.
In an alert published on its official website on Monday, labelled Alert No. 028/2025, the agency revealed that a product branded Gold Vision Oxytocin injection 10IU was discovered carrying a forged registration number.
According to NAFDAC, the fake product was falsely claimed to be manufactured by a pharmaceutical company in China and marketed by a firm based in Enugu State.
The discovery came during a risk-based sampling survey carried out by NAFDAC’s Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate. Further investigation uncovered three additional falsified injections – A-tocin injection, Extocin injection, and Claxitodin injection. Each of these also carried the same forged NAFDAC registration number, A4-9566, and was allegedly linked to the same supposed manufacturer.
NAFDAC confirmed that these medicines are absent from its official registered products database, thereby classifying them as falsified.
Why the Warning Matters
Oxytocin, a hormone and neuropeptide, is a critical medicine used to induce or strengthen labour, control postpartum bleeding, and support breastfeeding. It works by binding to receptors in the uterus, triggering contractions and helping to prevent life-threatening haemorrhage after childbirth.
However, NAFDAC cautioned
that falsified or poor-quality oxytocin poses grave dangers to mothers and newborns. These products may contain incorrect doses, no active ingredient at all, or harmful contaminants. Such deficiencies could cause weak contractions, uncontrolled bleeding, failed labour induction, or even maternal death.The agency also highlighted that poor-quality oxytocin increases the likelihood of emergency interventions such as blood transfusions or surgery when haemorrhage cannot be controlled.
Action Taken by NAFDAC
To protect the public, NAFDAC said it has directed its zonal directors and state coordinators across the federation to intensify monitoring and withdraw any falsified oxytocin injections from circulation.
The agency urged importers, distributors, pharmacists, healthcare workers, and the general public to exercise vigilance within the medicine supply chain. NAFDAC advised that all pharmaceutical products should only be sourced from licensed suppliers, with their authenticity and packaging carefully verified.
Consumers and healthcare professionals were encouraged to immediately report any suspicion of substandard or falsified medical products to the nearest NAFDAC office. Reports of side effects or adverse reactions linked to medicines and devices should also be submitted to the agency for prompt action
NAFDAC’s latest alert underscores the ongoing battle against falsified medicines in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market. With maternal and child health at stake, the agency is calling on every stakeholder in the supply chain to remain vigilant and help curb the circulation of dangerous counterfeit drugs.
