Adamu Muhammad, a pharmacist with more than 15 years of experience in healthcare logistics, has stepped into the tech space with a mission: to make genuine medicines more accessible in Nigeria. As co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GetMedford, he leads a digital platform designed to address one of the country’s most persistent health challenges—fake and substandard drugs.
For Muhammad, the problem is not abstract. Counterfeit medicines have long plagued Nigeria’s health sector, putting millions at risk and eroding trust in the system. His transition from practicing pharmacist to health-tech entrepreneur reflects a growing trend where professionals are turning to technology to solve deeply rooted issues in African societies.
The Rising Threat of Counterfeit Drugs
Nigeria’s struggle with counterfeit medicines is not new. Reports from health regulators have repeatedly flagged the scale of the problem, citing everything from falsified packaging to poor distribution chains as enablers. Beyond the statistics lies a human cost—patients unknowingly taking ineffective or dangerous drugs that worsen rather than treat their conditions.
In this environment, GetMedford was created to offer a technology-driven solution. The platform focuses on authenticity, traceability, and accessibility, giving users confidence that their medications are sourced from verified suppliers and trusted pharmacies.
Unlike traditional pharmaceutical supply systems, GetMedford integrates digital verification and logistics into its operations. Customers can order medicines through the platform, track their origins, and receive delivery while assured of authenticity.
What makes Muhammad’s approach notable is his dual expertise. His training as a pharmacist means he understands the clinical stakes, while his logistics background allows him to tackle the distribution bottlenecks that often open the door to counterfeit products. This combination has given GetMedford a practical edge in a sector where innovation is urgently needed.
Why it Matters
GetMedford’s work is not just about building a successful company. At its core is a public health mission that also ties into Nigeria’s broader digital economy ambitions. With the federal government and private sector pushing for stronger tech adoption in health, finance, and logistics, platforms like GetMedford demonstrate how local innovation can align with national goals.
Yet, the challenges remain significant. Expanding beyond major cities into rural areas—where counterfeit medicines often find their strongest foothold—will require scale, investment, and deeper collaboration with regulators.
Muhammad’s vision for GetMedford is clear: to make counterfeit medicines a thing of the past in Nigeria and, eventually, across Africa. But the path ahead is less about accolades and more about execution. For every patient who receives a genuine drug, trust in the system is restored.
In a country where healthcare gaps are wide and tech adoption is fast, GetMedford represents a test case for how digital tools can deliver real impact. The question now is whether such models can sustain themselves long enough to outpace the counterfeit industry that has thrived for decades.
Talking Points
Nigeria’s medicine supply chain has been plagued by counterfeit drugs for decades, costing lives silently. What Adamu Muhammad is attempting with GetMedford isn’t just “innovation,” it’s survival tech. In a country where pharmacies can’t always guarantee authenticity, this is one of the few tech efforts that touches life and death directly.
Muhammad’s crusade is essentially about restoring trust. For too long, Nigerians have approached pharmacies with suspicion, often double-checking pills or relying on street advice. If tech can seal this gap of mistrust, it changes the patient–pharmacist relationship forever. But here’s the rub: without government enforcement, tech can only go so far.
It’s ironic that startups like GetMedford are leading the fight against counterfeit drugs while regulatory bodies with billion-naira budgets often look the other way. Nigeria doesn’t have a tech problem—it has a policy will problem. If Muhammadu’s platform succeeds, it will be despite, not because of, government support.
