Countries / Middle East & Africa

Nigeria

Medicines, tobacco, alcoholDetails being verifiedChecked 17 Oct 2026
SystemNAFDAC medicines traceability (five-year plan from 2019)
Code on the productGS1 identifiers on medicines
AggregationPlanned.
First stepRegister your products and GTINs in the national system: NAFDAC medicines traceability.
Supplier checklist (PDF)

Overview

NAFDAC set a five-year plan in 2019 to trace at least 70% of medicines sold, with GS1-based traceability for all pharmaceutical products targeted by the end of 2024. Whether that deadline held has not been confirmed.

If you supply this market

  1. Register your products and GTINs in the national system: NAFDAC medicines traceability.
  2. Print a unique serialised code on every saleable pack.
  3. Verify every code on the line; aggregate into cases and pallets where required.
  4. Report production and shipments to the national system.

Typical steps for this type of regime. The exact rules are in the sources. Choosing equipment: printing methods.

Timeline

Already in force

  • Sep 2019Five-year traceability plan launched
  • 31 Dec 2024Target: GS1 traceability across the pharmaceutical supply chain

What the code looks like

GS1 DataMatrix on the medicine pack

GS1 DataMatrix on the medicine pack

(01) 09506000134352
GTIN: the product number
(17) 271231
Expiry date, YYMMDD
(10) AB1234
Batch
(21) 7G4K9P2XQ5
Serial number, unique to this pack

The same data is printed next to the code as text (GTIN, SN, LOT, EXP). Illustration built on the GS1 example GTIN; the code does not identify any product.

How this code is built →

Frequently asked questions

Is product marking mandatory in Nigeria?

Yes, for medicines, tobacco or alcohol, depending on the product: NAFDAC medicines traceability. Other consumer goods are not marked unit by unit.

What is already in force?

Sep 2019: Five-year traceability plan launched; 31 Dec 2024: Target: GS1 traceability across the pharmaceutical supply chain.

What code goes on the product?

GS1 identifiers on medicines.

Is aggregation required?

Planned.

What changes next?

No announced changes found yet.

Where can I check the rules?

Start with Securing Industry: Nigeria five-year objective. All sources are listed at the end of this page.

Sources

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Seen something outdated? Send a correction.