Nigeria’s government has introduced a new regulatory framework for online pharmacies, seeking to curb the spread of counterfeit medicines and tighten control over a rapidly expanding digital health sector.
At the launch in Abuja on Friday, officials said the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 would strengthen oversight, improve drug safety and address longstanding weaknesses in pharmaceutical supply chains.
Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare permanent secretary Daju Kachollom, represented by the director of hospital services, Abisola Adegoke, described the framework as a milestone in the regulation of healthcare delivery.
“This framework is a product of collaborative engagement with relevant partners, including technology innovators, healthcare providers and legal experts,” she said, adding that the policy was designed to balance accessibility with security and accountability.
The move comes amid growing concern over the proliferation of fake and substandard medicines, as well as gaps in the oversight of online pharmaceutical services—issues that became more visible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Ibrahim Ahmed, registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), the new rules establish a comprehensive legal and technical framework governing the registration, licensing and operation of digital pharmacy platforms.
“The regulations establish a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, operation and oversight of digital pharmaceutical services,” he said.
The coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the initiative formed part of wider reforms aimed at organising Nigeria’s healthcare market and attracting investment into the sector.
“By stabilising practices and improving transparency, the regulations strengthen accessibility in medicines distribution across the nation,” he said.
Pate added that enforcement would be paired with cooperation, signalling a dual approach to compliance.
“Those who comply with this regulation will find in PCN a regulator who is also a partner, and those who do not comply will find that they have a strengthened enforcer,” he said.
