The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated more than 10,000 cartons of unregistered tomato paste and cosmetic products during a major enforcement operation at the Lagos Trade Fair Market.
The five-day raid, led by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, targeted the cosmetics section of the market as part of the agency’s ongoing clampdown on unregistered and potentially harmful goods.
“We seized over 10,000 cartons of unregistered tomato paste, as well as cosmetics such as creams, soaps, body sprays, washes, air fresheners and toothpaste,” said Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, while briefing journalists on Tuesday.
Highlighting the public health risk posed by such products, Iluyomade stated: “We cannot guarantee the safety of these seized products because they have not undergone any regulatory scrutiny.”
“One way to safeguard public health is to remove harmful products from markets before they can kill unsuspecting Nigerians,” he warned.
Iluyomade also drew attention to the dangers of substandard goods, saying, “I can say authoritatively that deaths from substandard medicines, cosmetics and unsafe foods exceed the number of people killed by Boko Haram.”
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He emphasised that NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring Nigerians only have access to products that have passed safety and quality checks. “This is why the agency remains committed to ensuring Nigerians use only products that have passed regulatory processes, assuring safety and effectiveness,” he said.
The director also disclosed that a newly inaugurated multi-agency task force will strengthen nationwide surveillance against fake and unsafe products.
In addition, he noted that NAFDAC’s collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was helping to curb the influx of fake goods into the country. “We are working hard to prevent falsified and unregistered items from entering the country, hence our Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Customs Service,” he explained.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over many seized fake products to us, and we have also transferred some to them,” Iluyomade added.
He urged business owners to use NAFDAC’s decentralised registration system to ensure their products meet regulatory standards, reaffirming the agency’s determination to rid Nigeria of unregistered, expired, and substandard items.
