By Deborah Nnamdi
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed that it destroyed over N120 billion worth of seized products nationwide in three months.
According to NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the operations spanned Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), seizing substandard and falsified medicines, counterfeit foods, and beverages in three months, covering October to December 2024.
Prof. Adeyeye disclosed this in her Christmas and New Year message and urged citizens to prioritize safety by purchasing food and beverages only from credible outlets and avoiding products without NAFDAC registration numbers.She warned that products sold at unusually low prices are often substandard or counterfeit.
She also disclosed that the agency’s officers, particularly from the Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) Directorate, would sustain the ongoing efforts to remove substandard and falsified medicines as well as unwholesome food items from markets nationwide.
In collaboration with the Pharmacovigilance (PV) and Post-Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Directorates, NAFDAC officials are actively on the field, targeting falsified medicines, counterfeit wines and drinks, and other dangerous food products that pose risks to public health during the nationwide crackdowns and seizures.
NAFDAC teams have conducted operations across major cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Aba, Ibadan, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Products worth billions of Naira were confiscated in the past three months of renewed enforcement efforts.
Prof. Adeyeye reiterated that the agency would not relent in its fight against what she called “merchants of death.”
She warned that 2025 would bring even tougher enforcement actions against those compromising the quality of medicines and food.
“The coming year will be tough for the people that prioritize money over the well-being of their fellow human beings,” she stated.
NAFDAC advised Nigerians to scrutinize products, ensuring they are sourced from reputable outlets and have NAFDAC registration numbers.
“We appeal to Nigerians to buy only NAFDAC-registered drinks from licensed retailers, bars, and supermarkets. Poor packaging, spelling errors, and unusual bottle shapes are often red flags,” she noted.
