PATS POLICY

What Is This Policy?

The Product Authentication and Tracking System (PATS) Policy establishes Nigeria's national track-and-trace framework, requiring manufacturers and importers of regulated products to affix unique digital authentication codes to each product unit, enabling consumers and regulators to verify product authenticity and trace supply chain movements from manufacturing to final sale.

Who Does It Target?

Pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers: all medicines, vaccines, and medical devices marketed in Nigeria Food manufacturers, beverage producers, and processed food importers in the regulated products category Cosmetics, personal care products, and household chemical manufacturers Wholesale distributors, pharmacies, hospitals, and retail outlets handling regulated products Consumers who want to verify the authenticity of a product before purchase or consumption

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Eliminate counterfeit, substandard, and falsified (CSF) medicines and food products from the Nigerian market, which the WHO estimates account for up to 20% of drug supply Enable real-time tracking of every regulated product unit from factory through the supply chain to the point of dispensing or sale Facilitate rapid product recalls by allowing NAFDAC to instantly identify all distribution points where a recalled product has been supplied Give Nigerian consumers a simple, instant authentication tool via SMS or smartphone to verify the products they are about to use

Key Features

Unique Authentication Code (UAC): Every regulated product unit is assigned a unique alphanumeric or QR code applied to its packaging at point of manufacture or importation NAFDAC Authentication Portal: Consumers can verify product authenticity by texting the code to NAFDAC's short code or scanning the QR code with the NAFDAC Verify smartphone app Mandatory Compliance: From 2022, all pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers must implement PATS on their products; non-compliant products are seized and the manufacturer faces regulatory action Supply Chain Visibility: Every movement of a tracked product (manufacturer to distributor to pharmacy) is recorded in NAFDAC's central PATS database, creating a complete chain of custody record Rapid Recall Mechanism: When a product is recalled, NAFDAC uses PATS data to identify all supply chain nodes where the product has been distributed and issue targeted withdrawal notices within hours Sector Expansion: PATS is being extended beyond pharmaceuticals to cover food products, cosmetics, and agro-chemicals in a phased rollout through 2025

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active; mandatory for pharmaceuticals since 2022; food sector rollout ongoing; NAFDAC enforcement operations seize non-compliant products Implementing Body: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Federal Ministry of Health Consumer Access: The NAFDAC Verify app is available on Google Play and Apple App Store; SMS verification via the NAFDAC short code 62432 Counterfeiting Scale: Counterfeit medicines cause an estimated 38,000 to 100,000 deaths in Africa annually; PATS is Nigeria's primary technological response

How to Access

Manufacturers: Register on the NAFDAC PATS portal to receive unique product codes; contact NAFDAC PATS helpdesk for technical integration support: nafdac.gov.ng/pats Importers: All imported regulated products must carry NAFDAC-assigned authentication codes before customs clearance; non-coded imports are rejected at port Consumers: Download NAFDAC Verify App; scan the code on your medicine or food product; receive instant authentication confirmation Contact: NAFDAC: nafdac.gov.ng | 0800 NAFDAC (623322) | 77 Abagbon Close, Victoria Island, Lagos

Impact & Metrics

Over 5 billion product units tracked through PATS since 2021; NAFDAC has intercepted over 500,000 units of counterfeit drugs identified through PATS mismatches

Official Resources

Website: nafdac.gov.ng | PATS Portal: nafdac.gov.ng/pats Consumer Verification: NAFDAC Verify App | SMS: Send product code to 62432 | Helpline: 0800 NAFDAC (623322) Policy Summary | Source: NAFDAC, WHO Track-and-Trace, Punch Nigeria, Businessday, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria | February 2026

Legal Framework

The Product Authentication and Tracking System (PATS) Policy operates under the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, and the Consumer Protection Council Act. It aligns with the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards on supply chain security, the OECD Guidelines for Fighting Counterfeit and Piracy in the Digital Age, and the international standards from the GS1 global barcode and track-and-trace system.