In a significant enforcement action, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the seizure and destruction of over N120 billion worth of substandard and falsified medicines and unwholesome food products between July and December 2024. This initiative is part of the agency’s intensified crackdown on counterfeiters, resulting in notable achievements across the country.
On December 11, 2024, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit medicines and expired products valued at N11 billion in Ibadan. In addition, the agency conducted a series of raids in Lagos, where it targeted counterfeit alcohol packaging centers, seizing items worth N2.3 billion. Other significant operations included the closure of a fake rice packaging factory in Nasarawa State, leading to the confiscation of products worth N5 billion, and a two-day operation in Aba that shut down 150 shops and seized fake food and beverages valued at N5 billion.
In a New Year message, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, assured the public of heightened market surveillance and stricter enforcement measures in 2025. She emphasized the importance of consumer safety during the festive season, urging Nigerians to purchase only NAFDAC-registered products from reputable outlets.
Prof. Adeyeye provided essential recommendations for consumers, advising them to buy food and drinks from establishments with identifiable addresses to facilitate easy tracking and tracing. She warned against purchasing medicines and packaged food products that lack NAFDAC numbers and cautioned that unusually cheap items are often compromised.
The agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate (I&E) is actively conducting mop-up operations to eliminate substandard and falsified medicines and unwholesome food items from markets nationwide. Prof. Adeyeye confirmed that officials have been deployed to major cities, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Aba, Ibadan, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where billions of naira worth of counterfeit products have been confiscated.
“Only safe, quality, and wholesome food products should be available to Nigerians during the yuletide and beyond,” she asserted. She also reiterated the agency’s commitment to combating counterfeiters, warning that the coming year would pose significant challenges for those who prioritize profit over public health by compromising the quality of medicines and food products.
Prof. Adeyeye urged consumers to be vigilant, meticulously scrutinizing medicines and branded drinks to distinguish genuine products from counterfeits. She called on the public to report any suspicions of substandard and falsified medicines or food to the nearest NAFDAC office, emphasizing the agency’s dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nigerians.