NAFDAC Destroys N1.5tn Fake, Substandard Products In Lagos, South-East

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed that it destroyed counterfeit and substandard regulated products worth more than N1.5 trillion in coordinated operations across Lagos and the South-East between February and March 2025.

The agency also said its nationwide crackdown on fake and dangerous products since 2023 had resulted in the seizure or destruction of regulated products with a combined value of more than N1.54 trillion.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Monday in Lagos while responding to growing public concerns over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigerian markets.

Adeyeye described counterfeiters as “merchants of death”, insisting that the agency would maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards the manufacture, distribution and sale of fake regulated products.

The development followed growing concerns over the flood of suspected fake and substandard consumer goods, foods, medicines and cosmetics in markets across the country.

According to the NAFDAC boss, simultaneous enforcement operations at Idumota Market in Lagos, Onitsha Market in Anambra State and Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State, resulted in the seizure and destruction of more than 137 truckloads of counterfeit and substandard products.

She said, “Between February and March 2025, across Idumota, Onitsha and Ariaria Market, Aba, NAFDAC coordinated and simultaneously executed major raids which led to seizure and destruction of over 137 40-foot truckloads of counterfeit and substandard products valued at more than N1.5tn.”

Adeyeye said the agency had also intensified its destruction of fake, expired, banned and unregistered medicines across the country.

In February 2026, NAFDAC destroyed fake, expired, counterfeit and banned medicines worth more than N15 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State. The products included Analgin, Co-codamol, codeine-containing syrups, Tramadol, Oxytocin and expired vaccines.

The agency also reported the destruction of another N1.8 billion worth of counterfeit medicines, banned sachet alcohol below 200ml, narcotics, antibiotics, antimalarials, counterfeit milk, skin-lightening creams, fake insecticides and medical devices in Kuje, Abuja, in March 2026.

NAFDAC had earlier destroyed expired and unregistered drugs worth N11 billion in Ibadan in December 2024.

The agency said the combined value of the pharmaceutical products destroyed in the three operations stood at N27.8 billion.

In another enforcement drive in Aba, NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit beverages, spirits and revalidated foods worth N5 billion in December 2023 after shutting down 150 shops.

A repeat operation in the same location in December 2024 led to the closure of 250 shops and the discovery of similar products worth N7 billion, bringing the combined value of the products destroyed in the Aba operations to N12 billion.

Adeyeye further disclosed that the street-market value of products destroyed nationwide by NAFDAC in 2024 alone exceeded N120 billion.

64 Counterfeiters Convicted

The NAFDAC boss also revealed that the agency had secured 64 convictions against counterfeiters across the country, with jail terms ranging from one to seven years without the option of a fine.

She said the convictions secured between June 2025 and June 2026 included a five-year sentence for counterfeiting Global Fund Artemether, five years for producing a cough and cold syrup containing codeine, 12 months for fake ointments and condoms, and seven years for counterfeit antibiotics.

Adeyeye said, “NAFDAC’s record for 2023-present shows it has responded with billions in seizures, hundreds of arrests, dozens of convictions, and trillion-naira destructions.”

She added that NAFDAC’s Post-Market Surveillance Directorate visited 6,233 facilities and removed 7,210 brands and products from circulation nationwide between May and July 2026.

The exercise covered food and water, drugs and herbal products, medical devices, vaccines and biologics, cosmetics, healthcare products and chemicals.

Food and water products accounted for the highest number of items mopped up, with 3,633 products recovered from 1,808 facilities, while the Drugs and Herbals category recorded the highest number of facilities visited, with 2,084 facilities yielding 2,459 products.

Fake CWAY Bottles Uncovered

Adeyeye further disclosed that NAFDAC had uncovered a sophisticated counterfeiting operation involving CWAY dispenser bottles.

According to her, three companies were found refilling empty 19-litre bottles bearing the identity of a registered water company with water obtained from unapproved sources.

The products were subsequently supplied to hotels and supermarkets without authorisation, she said, adding that the operators had been heavily sanctioned.

However, Adeyeye clarified that NAFDAC could not single-handedly eliminate all forms of unsafe products from the Nigerian market.

She explained that fresh farm produce such as apples, grapes and oranges was not under NAFDAC’s exclusive regulatory control, but fell within the responsibility of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.

She also noted that the agency did not have direct and absolute regulatory oversight over traditionally packaged unbranded products such as palm oil and fufu sold in open markets.

She therefore urged state and local governments to collaborate with NAFDAC to ensure the safety of such products.

“Fakers are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighbourhoods, and business premises,” Adeyeye said, stressing that the fight against counterfeiting required the collective efforts of government agencies and members of the public.

She urged Nigerians to report suspected fake and non-compliant products directly to NAFDAC through its call centre instead of relying solely on social media.

The agency’s enquiry line is 0700-1-NAFDAC (0700-1-623322), while complaints can be lodged through 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322).

Adeyeye also reiterated NAFDAC’s call for tougher sanctions under the NAFDAC Act and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Act, including the death penalty or life imprisonment for individuals involved in the production and sale of fake regulated products.