Drug promotions flooding social media: How patients go blind, suffer stroke, experience kidney failure

Nigeria’s Silent Health Crisis: The Deadly Gamble of Online Drug Purchases

With healthcare costs soaring and drug shortages worsening, millions of Nigerians are being forced to seek cheaper alternatives outside hospitals and pharmacies. But in their desperation to find affordable cures, many are falling prey to a silent epidemic—unregulated drugs sold on social media.

From Instagram stories to WhatsApp groups and Facebook broadcasts, medicines are now just a few clicks away. Vendors advertise “miracle” treatments for ailments ranging from red eyes, ulcers, diabetes, and high blood pressure to infertility and prostate problems. No prescriptions, no tests, no medical supervision—just quick promises at cut-rate prices.

What began as a matter of convenience has quietly mutated into a national health hazard. Nigerians are going blind, suffering kidney failure, having strokes, and even dying from counterfeit or misused drugs delivered straight to their doorsteps.

In a country already grappling with one of the world’s lowest life expectancies—between 54 and 64 years in 2025—the rise of social-media pharmacies is a ticking time bomb.

The Victims Behind the Clicks

Amaka’s near blindness
When Amaka, a 23-year-old student, noticed her eyes turning red and watery, she searched Instagram for a quick fix. A vendor delivered steroid-based eye drops to her hostel. Within days, her eyes cleared. But two weeks later, her vision blurred, and doctors warned she was weeks away from permanent blindness.

Victor and Chinyere’s wasted hopes
Victor Aham spent his savings on “herbal eye cleansers” that did nothing. Similarly, Chinyere Ogbue paid over ₦40,000 for teas and eye rollers that promised a cure but left her no better—and with no refund.

Joana’s stroke
At Balogun Market, 52-year-old Joana abandoned her prescribed blood-pressure medicine after buying a Facebook-promoted herbal mixture. She collapsed weeks later, her stroke traced to the harmful steroids and caffeine hidden in the concoction.

Temitope’s kidney injury
Temitope, a 34-year-old civil servant, trusted an Instagram detox tea endorsed by influencers. Weeks later, she landed in hospital with acute kidney damage from unlisted diuretics and laxatives.

Chinedu’s tragic end
In Imo State, 28-year-old gym enthusiast Chinedu relied on energy boosters hawked in a WhatsApp group. He suffered a hypertensive crisis and died before reaching hospital.

Mama Biodun’s decline
In Ibadan, 60-year-old Mama Biodun ditched her prescriptions after her daughter found a TikTok advert promising a permanent cure for diabetes and hypertension. She ended up hospitalised with kidney failure.

These are only a handful of cases. According to hospital reports, every week at least five Nigerians collapse after consuming unregulated herbal products, many laced with steroids, stimulants, or diuretics.

Experts Sound the Alarm

Medical experts insist there are no shortcuts to managing chronic illness. “Miracle cures are killers,” warned cardiologists who treat patients arriving in critical condition after abandoning prescribed drugs.

Dr. Femi Olaleye, Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, described the trend as catastrophic:

“I’ve seen patients lose their sight, develop corneal ulcers, or suffer severe complications from counterfeit products. The packaging looks convincing, but the contents are deadly.”

Dr. Gloria Okoekhian-Ogulu, Chairperson of the Nigerian Optometric Association (Lagos), added:

“Similar symptoms require different treatments. Buying drugs without a diagnosis delays the right care and can cause irreparable harm. Fake or expired products only worsen the problem.”

Pharmacists also warn that bypassing licensed professionals exposes Nigerians to drug interactions, allergic reactions, and even death.

Regulators Struggling to Catch Up

NAFDAC acknowledges the crisis. Its Director General, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, said the agency monitors social media, conducts raids, and fines offenders—up to ₦5 million for large operations. It has also introduced tools like Scan2Verify and the Green Book to help consumers confirm authenticity.

But enforcement is difficult as new vendors sprout daily on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok. The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) is developing policies to regulate online pharmacies, but until then, patients remain dangerously exposed.

A Crisis in the Making

Doctors and pharmacists agree: Nigeria is on the brink of a full-scale health emergency. Unregulated drug sales are fuelling preventable blindness, kidney and liver failure, strokes, and deaths.

What is most dangerous is that the damage often goes unseen until it is irreversible.

For Amaka, Joana, Temitope, Chinedu, and countless others, a quick click nearly cost them everything. Unless urgent action is taken, more Nigerians will learn too late that the cheapest drugs online often come at the highest price—life itself.