NAFDAC Calls Attention to Fake Food Concerns, Urges Nigerians to Report Counterfeiters

On Monday, September 7, 2026, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) held a press conference in Lagos to respond to a wave of reports on suspected fake and substandard food products circulating in Nigeria. 

NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye addressed a press conference in Lagos to respond to reports alleging fake and substandard food products circulating across Nigeria, including yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water, and beverages.

She convened the briefing days after Punch Newspaper published a report on September 5, 2026, questioning the safety of several widely consumed food items, which circulated widely on social media.

Prof. Mojisola said social media allegations alone could not establish that a product was counterfeit, adulterated, or unsafe, adding that such claims required scientific evaluation before reaching conclusions. She described counterfeiters as merchants of death, and urged Nigerians to report suspected offenders through NAFDAC’s official complaint channels, which the agency said receive more than 200 calls monthly.

She disclosed that NAFDAC inspected 6,233 facilities and mopped up 7,210 fake, falsified and non-compliant products nationwide between May and July 2026, and that the agency has secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting, with sentences of between one and seven years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine. 

Prof. Mojisola stated that the fight against fake and substandard products is a  continuous one, pointing to the destruction of over ₦1.5 trillion worth of counterfeit goods at Idumota, Onitsha and Ariaria markets between February and March 2025, and the seizure of over 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medicines worth about ₦3 billion at the Lagos Trade Fair Market in February 2026.

She also addressed calls for her resignation, describing them as resistance to her reform agenda. She clarified that NAFDAC’s regulatory oversight does not fully extend to unbranded palm oil, fufu and other traditionally packaged staple foods sold in open markets, stating that sub-national authorities share responsibility under the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.