The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has destroyed or seized counterfeit and substandard regulated products worth more than N1.54 trillion nationwide since 2023.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Monday in Lagos, while addressing growing concerns over the circulation of fake and substandard products across the country.
Adeyeye described counterfeiters as “merchants of death” and reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to maintaining zero tolerance for the production and distribution of dangerous products.
Her comments followed recent concerns over the growing presence of suspected fake and substandard consumer goods, food products, medicines and cosmetics in Nigerian markets.
According to the NAFDAC boss, coordinated enforcement operations in major markets in Lagos and the South-East resulted in the seizure and destruction of counterfeit goods valued at more than N1.5 trillion.
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 were evacuated and destroyed.”
NAFDAC Destroys Billions Worth of Fake Medicines
The agency also highlighted several operations targeting fake, expired, banned and substandard medicines.
In February 2026, NAFDAC destroyed more than N15 billion worth of fake, expired, counterfeit and banned medicines in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The products included Analgin, Co-codamol, codeine-based syrups, Tramadol, Oxytocin and expired vaccines. The agency also arrested a suspect allegedly linked to a smuggled container.
In December 2024, NAFDAC destroyed expired and unregistered drugs worth N11 billion, also in Ibadan.
Another destruction exercise in March 2026 saw the agency dispose of counterfeit medicines and other prohibited products worth N1.8 billion in Kuje, Abuja.
The products included banned sachet alcohol below 200ml, narcotics, antibiotics, antimalarials, counterfeit milk, skin-lightening creams, fake insecticides and medical devices.
Together, the value of the drug and pharmaceutical-related products destroyed in the highlighted operations amounted to N27.8 billion.
Fake Beverages, Food Products Targeted
NAFDAC also reported separate enforcement operations against counterfeit beverages, spirits and revalidated food products.
In December 2023, the agency destroyed such products worth N5 billion in Aba, Abia State, after shutting down 150 shops.
A follow-up operation in the same location in December 2024 resulted in the closure of 250 shops and the discovery of similar products valued at N7 billion.
The two operations brought the combined value of the beverage and food products destroyed in Aba to N12 billion.
Adeyeye disclosed that the street value of products destroyed by NAFDAC nationwide in 2024 alone exceeded N120 billion.
NAFDAC Secures 64 Counterfeiting Convictions
The NAFDAC director-general, alongside the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Iluyomade Martins, disclosed that NAFDAC had secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting across the country.
The convictions resulted in prison sentences ranging from one to seven years without the option of a fine.
Adeyeye highlighted several convictions recorded between June 2025 and June 2026, including five years’ imprisonment for faking Global Fund Artemether, five years for producing cough and cold syrup containing codeine, 12 months for fake ointments and condoms, and seven years for counterfeit antibiotics.
She 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.”
NAFDAC Inspects Thousands of Facilities
Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s Post-Market Surveillance Directorate inspected 6,233 facilities and removed 7,210 brands and products from circulation nationwide between May and July 2026.
The exercise covered several categories, including food and water, medicines and herbal products, medical devices, vaccines and biologics, cosmetics, healthcare products and chemicals.
Food and Water recorded the highest number of products removed, with 3,633 products recovered from 1,808 facilities.
The Drugs and Herbals category recorded the highest number of facilities visited, with 2,084 facilities inspected and 2,459 products removed from circulation.
NAFDAC Uncovers Fake CWAY Water Bottles
The agency also uncovered the counterfeiting of CWAY dispenser bottles by three companies.
According to Adeyeye, the companies refilled empty 19-litre bottles carrying the identity of a registered water company with water sourced from unapproved locations.
The products were allegedly supplied to hotels and supermarkets without authorisation, leading to heavy sanctions against the operators.
Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC’s regulatory mandate has limits and does not extend to eliminating every form of criminal activity in the country.
She said the agency was not responsible for fresh farm produce such as apples, grapes and oranges, which fall under the regulatory responsibility of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.
She also explained that NAFDAC does not have direct and absolute oversight of unbranded palm oil, fufu and other traditionally packaged staple foods sold in open markets.
The NAFDAC boss therefore called on state and local authorities to work with the agency to improve the safety of such products.
NAFDAC Calls for Public Support
“Fakers are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighbourhoods, and business premises,” Adeyeye said.
She described the fight against counterfeit products as a collective responsibility involving NAFDAC, other government agencies and members of the public.
Adeyeye urged Nigerians to report suspected fake or non-compliant products directly to NAFDAC rather than relying exclusively on social media.
She provided the agency’s enquiry line as 0700-1-NAFDAC (0700-1-623322) and its complaint line as 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322).
The NAFDAC chief also reiterated the agency’s previous calls for tougher penalties under the NAFDAC Act and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Act.
She said the agency had advocated severe punishment, including the death penalty or life imprisonment, for individuals involved in producing and selling fake regulated products.
