Many Nigerians are falling into danger as they turn to social media for medical cures instead of visiting hospitals. From infertility treatments to fake herbal tonics, desperate patients are being deceived by online adverts promising quick and cheap solutions to their health problems.
One of the victims, 30-year-old fashion designer Anjorin Oladunni, shared her painful story after using a herbal product she found through a WhatsApp advert that claimed to cure infertility.
“I told my friend I didn’t mind because I was desperate for a solution. I had been to many doctors, and all they offered me was IVF, which I couldn’t afford,” Oladunni said.
The herbalist gave her two bottles of liquid medicine and a strange object to insert into her private part. Soon after, she began to feel severe burning pain.
“I woke up burning. My vagina was literally on fire. The pain was unbearable. I was rolling on the floor, crying,” she said.
For days, she suffered from smelly discharge and weakness before doctors treated her in a hospital.
Oladunni said the fake treatment almost destroyed her last chance of becoming a mother.
“Since then, I have avoided unorthodox medicine completely. Fertility or no fertility, I have given up,” she added.
Her story reflects a growing wave of health misinformation in Nigeria, as fake healers and online vendors exploit desperate patients. Many social media users now see adverts promising cures for diabetes, infections, sexual problems, and infertility—most of which are false.
Another victim, 29-year-old Idris Saleem, said he landed in the hospital after taking pills he saw on Facebook that claimed to enlarge the penis.
“When the pain got intense, I started feeling like my ribs were being stretched,” he said.
Doctors later traced his condition to the unverified drugs he bought online.
A 25-year-old woman, Uzor Ifeanyi, nearly lost her life after drinking an herbal mixture from Instagram that claimed to “flush the system.” Doctors said the concoction damaged her kidneys and left her family broke after paying for dialysis.
Experts warn that many of these products contain toxic or untested ingredients.
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A Professor of Public Health, Tanimola Akande of the University of Ilorin, said most online health advice is “misinformation and non-scientific.”
“Most of the people behind such information are not well-trained health practitioners. People believe this misinformation and end up worsening their illnesses. They often come to the hospital too late for proper treatment,” Akande said.
He added that the high cost of healthcare, poverty, and ignorance are driving Nigerians toward dangerous self-medication.
Another expert, Professor James Ogunmodede, said social media misinformation pushes people into harmful choices.
“People buy products they do not need or take substances that may harm them. Any health information seen online should be verified with a doctor before acting on it,” he said.
Health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called for stronger laws, awareness campaigns, and public education to fight the spread of health misinformation.
They warn that while social media has made information easy to access, it has also made false cures spread faster than the truth — putting many lives at risk.