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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the destruction of counterfeit products valued at over ₦120bn between July and December 2024. The operation spanned across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
In her yuletide message, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reassured Nigerians that the agency has measures in place to protect public health during the holiday season. She emphasized the importance of consuming safe food and drinks, advising Nigerians to buy from reputable outlets with identifiable addresses, which aids in the agency’s tracking and monitoring processes.
Adeyeye cautioned against purchasing medicines and packaged foods lacking NAFDAC registration numbers, warning that unusually low-priced products may be compromised. She revealed that NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate is actively targeting substandard and counterfeit goods, including unsafe medicines and food items in markets nationwide.
The agency’s efforts in December 2024 alone included the destruction of expired and unregistered drugs worth ₦11bn in Ibadan. NAFDAC also confiscated counterfeit alcoholic beverages and fake medicines in Lagos, and uncovered a factory in Nasarawa State producing counterfeit rice, seizing over 1,600 bags valued at ₦5bn.
In Aba, Abia State, NAFDAC closed down 150 shops involved in the large-scale production of counterfeit goods, including beverages, spirits, and repackaged food items, with a market value of ₦5bn.
Prof. Adeyeye reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring that only safe, quality products are available in Nigeria’s market, vowing to intensify efforts to eliminate counterfeiters, whom she described as “merchants of death.”
