Key takeaways

  • NAFDAC stands for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
  • It regulates the products — food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water — that are made, imported, sold or used in Nigeria.
  • A NAFDAC registration number on a pack means that specific product has been assessed and registered by NAFDAC; you can verify it in the NAFDAC Green Book.
  • NAFDAC regulates products; the PCN regulates pharmacists and premises; the CAC registers the business entity.
  • Every genuine Dizpharm pharmaceutical carries a NAFDAC registration number; Chrismatel table water is NAFDAC Reg. No. 01-5406.

NAFDAC full meaning: what does NAFDAC stand for?

What is the full meaning of NAFDAC?

NAFDAC stands for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control — the Nigerian federal agency that regulates the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water.

In short: NAFDAC regulates the products. When a medicine, a bottle of water or a food item is "NAFDAC-registered," it means that specific product has been assessed and approved by NAFDAC and carries a registration number to prove it.

NAFDAC is one of three bodies people mix up. NAFDAC regulates products; the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) regulates pharmacists and premises; and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registers the business entity.

What NAFDAC regulates and does

  • Registers products — assesses and registers drugs, food, water, cosmetics, medical devices and chemicals before they can be legally sold.
  • Inspects manufacturing — certifies factories against Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
  • Controls import and export of regulated products.
  • Runs market surveillance — tests products in the market and enforces against counterfeit, substandard and unregistered goods.
  • Regulates advertising of regulated products.

NAFDAC was established in the 1990s and is the front line against fake and substandard medicines in Nigeria — which is why a genuine NAFDAC registration number matters so much to distributors and pharmacies.

What a NAFDAC registration number means

A NAFDAC registration number printed on a pack means that specific product — that brand, that dose, that manufacturer — has been registered by NAFDAC. It is not a generic seal; it is tied to the individual product.

You can and should verify it: NAFDAC publishes registered products in its Green Book, and a genuine number will resolve to the correct product and manufacturer. Our step-by-step guide to verifying a NAFDAC registration number shows exactly how to check — an essential habit for any distributor, because selling unregistered or fake product is both illegal and business-ending.

NAFDAC vs PCN vs CAC — who does what

  • NAFDAC — regulates the products. Registers each medicine, food and water product; certifies factory GMP.
  • PCN — regulates the people and premises. Licenses pharmacies, PPMVs and pharmacists.
  • CAC — registers the business entity.

A legitimate pharmaceutical business needs all three: CAC for the company, NAFDAC for the products, and PCN for the premises and pharmacists.

How Dizpharm products are NAFDAC-registered

Dizpharm Nigeria Limited is a NAFDAC-certified manufacturer, and every genuine Dizpharm pharmaceutical carries its own NAFDAC registration number printed on the pack — for example our Caregyl (metronidazole), Caretrim (co-trimoxazole) and Ciprodiz (ciprofloxacin) antibiotics, and Chrismatel table water under NAFDAC Reg. No. 01-5406. Distributors and pharmacies can verify any Dizpharm pack's number against the NAFDAC Green Book, and contact us with a batch number for confirmation. See our verification guide for the procedure.

Ready to talk to Dizpharm?

Apply to the distributor program — one carton MOQ, NAFDAC certified, mixed-SKU first orders accepted.

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Pricing pages and dealer locations connected to this guide.

Wholesale catalogue

Caregyl

What is Caregyl? Dizpharm's NAFDAC-certified metronidazole (200mg/400mg tablets and 200mg/5ml suspension), used for dental, stomach and anaerobic infections, amoebiasis and BV — the quality generic alternative to Flagyl and Ricogyl.

See carton pricing → Wholesale catalogue

Caretrim

What is Caretrim? Dizpharm's NAFDAC-certified co-trimoxazole (sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim) in 480mg and 960mg tablets plus paediatric suspension — used for UTIs, chest and ear infections — and the quality alternative to Septrin, Bactrim and Tecotrim 960.

See carton pricing → Distributors near you

Lagos — Idumota / Lagos Island

Lead time: 5-7 working days · South-West

See local dealers → Distributors near you

Kano — Sabon Gari Market

Lead time: 5-8 working days · Northern

See local dealers →

Frequently asked questions

What is the full meaning of NAFDAC?
NAFDAC stands for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control — the Nigerian federal agency that regulates food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water that are manufactured, imported, sold or used in Nigeria.
What does NAFDAC do?
NAFDAC registers regulated products before they can be sold, inspects and certifies manufacturing facilities to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, controls the import and export of regulated goods, and runs market surveillance and enforcement against counterfeit, substandard and unregistered products.
What does a NAFDAC registration number mean?
A NAFDAC registration number means that specific product — that brand, dose and manufacturer — has been assessed and registered by NAFDAC. It is tied to the individual product, not a generic seal, and can be checked in the NAFDAC Green Book.
How do I check if a product is NAFDAC registered?
Look for the NAFDAC registration number on the pack and verify it against the NAFDAC Green Book (the register of approved products); a genuine number resolves to the correct product and manufacturer. Our NAFDAC verification guide walks through the exact steps.
Is NAFDAC the same as PCN?
No. NAFDAC regulates the products — it registers each medicine, food and water product and certifies factory GMP. The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) regulates the people and premises — it licenses pharmacies, PPMVs and pharmacists. A pharmaceutical business needs both.
When was NAFDAC established?
NAFDAC was established by law in the 1990s to safeguard public health by regulating and controlling food, drugs and related products in Nigeria, and it remains the country's primary agency against fake and substandard medicines.

Sources & further reading

Authoritative references. External links open in a new tab.