Almost everyone has heard that tramadol and codeine were “banned”. The truth is more specific, and it matters if you have a prescription, sell medicines, or are trying to stop.
No. Tramadol 50 mg and 100 mg is legal with a prescription, but stronger tablets such as 225 mg were never registered and are illegal. Codeine cough syrup has been banned since May 2018, and codeine remains a controlled medicine.
The short answer
| Status in Nigeria, September 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tramadol 50 mg and 100 mg | Legal with a prescription. A controlled medicine. |
| Tramadol above 100 mg (120, 200, 225, 250 mg) | Never registered. Making, importing, selling or possessing it is illegal. |
| Codeine cough syrup | Banned since 1 May 2018. NAFDAC confirmed in June 2024 that the ban still stands. |
| Codeine as a substance | A controlled narcotic. It can be handled only under licence. |
Tramadol: what is legal
Tramadol is a prescription painkiller. NAFDAC has approved it in 50 mg and 100 mg strengths, and says it has never registered anything stronger. Its product database lists many tramadol products, and none is above 100 mg.
Tramadol is also a nationally controlled medicine. A licensed doctor or dentist prescribes it, and a registered pharmacist dispenses it from licensed premises. A patent medicine store, a hawker or a motor-park seller cannot legally sell it to you.
The strong tablets sold on the street, often marked 120, 200, 225 or 250 mg, are unregistered. NAFDAC and customs seize them and treat them as fake drugs. In 2025 NAFDAC also banned pills sold as “Tafrodol” and “Royal 225”, which combine two other drugs, and blacklisted the company that made them.
Tramadol isn’t named in the NDLEA Act. That doesn’t make street tramadol safe to deal in. The NDLEA arrests and prosecutes people for moving tramadol, charging it as a drug similar to cocaine, LSD and heroin, and courts have convicted people on those charges.
Codeine: what the 2018 ban covers
At the end of April 2018, a BBC Africa Eye documentary, Sweet Sweet Codeine, showed codeine cough syrup being sold freely to young people. On 1 May 2018, the Minister of Health:
- stopped import permits for codeine as an ingredient for cough preparations;
- banned the sale of codeine cough syrup without a prescription;
- told manufacturers to switch cough syrups to a different ingredient, dextromethorphan.
NAFDAC shut three manufacturers, stopped codeine syrup production, and recalled about 2.4 million bottles. In June 2024 it said reports that the ban had been lifted were false.
Codeine itself is not banned outright. It is a controlled narcotic under Nigerian and international law, so it can be imported, prescribed and dispensed only under licence.
What the penalties are
These are the maximums in the law. Actual sentences are usually much lower.
Suggested read: Choosing a Rehab Centre in Nigeria: What to Look For
- Hawking or selling drugs in a market, kiosk, motor park, roadside stall or vehicle: a fine of up to ₦500,000, at least two years in prison, or both.
- Selling unregistered or fake drugs, which includes tramadol above 100 mg: a fine of up to ₦500,000, five to 15 years, or both.
- Running an unregistered pharmacy or patent medicine shop: fines of up to ₦2.5 million, or prison.
- Trafficking under the NDLEA Act: up to life imprisonment for dealing, and 15 to 25 years for possession without lawful authority. In August 2026, four men who moved 1.2 tonnes of tramadol were sentenced to six to seven years, with an option of fines.
Nigeria does not have the death penalty for drug trafficking. It was debated in 2024, but the amendment was never signed into law.
Tramadol prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacy is a legal medicine. Keep the prescription and the receipt with the pack.
Travelling with tramadol
Many countries control tramadol more tightly than Nigeria does.
- Saudi Arabia controls tramadol, and drug trafficking can carry the death penalty. In 2018 a Nigerian student, Zainab Aliyu, was arrested in Saudi Arabia after traffickers at Kano airport tagged a bag of tramadol in her name. She was freed in 2019.
- The UAE requires a prescription and an attested medical report, allows up to one month’s supply, and requires approval from its Ministry of Health before you travel.
- Egypt has controlled tramadol since 2012.
Before you fly, check the rules with the destination country’s embassy. Carry your prescription and a doctor’s letter, keep tablets in the original pack, lock your luggage, watch your bag tags, and never carry a package for anyone.
How common misuse is
Nigeria’s only national drug use survey, by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the National Bureau of Statistics, was published in 2019. It found:
- About 4.6 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used opioid medicines for non-medical reasons in the past year, mostly tramadol, but also codeine and morphine.
- About 2.4 million had used codeine or dextromethorphan cough syrups.
- Men were almost twice as likely as women to misuse opioid medicines.
Federal public service applicants now take a mandatory drug test before they are hired.
If you want to stop
If you have been taking tramadol or codeine every day for more than a few weeks, don’t stop suddenly. See a doctor, who can help you reduce the dose gradually.
- Withdrawal from opioids is painful but usually not life-threatening in itself. Expect aches, sweating, diarrhoea, poor sleep and cravings.
- Tramadol can also bring anxiety, panic attacks and a racing heart. Occasionally it causes hallucinations or paranoia.
- The biggest danger comes after a break. Tolerance drops quickly, so going back to your old dose can cause an overdose.
- High doses of tramadol can cause seizures.
If someone has collapsed, is fitting or may have overdosed, call 112, or 767 in Lagos, and get them to a hospital.
Where to get help:
- NDLEA helpline, 0800 1020 3040. Free and open 24 hours, in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. It offers counselling and referrals to treatment near you.
- A psychiatric hospital or teaching hospital. See our guides to psychiatric hospitals in Lagos and in Abuja, and how to choose a rehab centre.
- A therapist for the cravings, the stress underneath them, and relapse prevention. You can find a therapist who works with addiction.
For the signs of dependence and how it develops, read tramadol and codeine addiction in Nigeria, or our page on addiction.
Suggested read: Psychiatric Hospitals in Abuja: Where to Go
This is general information about Nigerian law as of September 2026, not legal advice. Sources: Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC statements (2018, 2024 and 2025), the NDLEA Act, the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act 2022, and Drug Use in Nigeria 2018 (UNODC, 2019).
Frequently asked questions
Is tramadol banned in Nigeria?
No. Tramadol 50 mg and 100 mg are legal with a prescription. Tablets stronger than 100 mg, such as 225 mg, have never been registered in Nigeria and are illegal.
Is codeine banned in Nigeria?
Codeine cough syrup has been banned since 1 May 2018, and NAFDAC confirmed in June 2024 that the ban still stands. Codeine itself is a controlled narcotic that can be handled only under licence.
Is tramadol 225 legal in Nigeria?
No. NAFDAC has never registered any tramadol stronger than 100 mg. Making, importing, selling or possessing it is illegal.
Can I buy tramadol without a prescription in Nigeria?
Not legally. Tramadol is a controlled medicine that a registered pharmacist may dispense only against a prescription.
Can I travel with tramadol?
Only with care. Carry your prescription and a doctor’s letter, keep the tablets in the original pack, and check the destination’s rules first. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt all control tramadol, and the UAE requires approval before you travel.
What is the punishment for selling tramadol in Nigeria?
It depends on the offence. Hawking drugs carries a fine of up to ₦500,000, at least two years in prison, or both. Selling unregistered strengths carries up to ₦500,000, five to 15 years, or both. Trafficking under the NDLEA Act carries up to life imprisonment, though actual sentences are usually far lower.
This article is awaiting clinical review. It’s based on published research and health guidelines, and we’ll update it once a clinician has reviewed it.
