Worried by the proliferation of fake products in the country, the House of Representatives Tuesday urged the federal government to treat the production and circulation of fake, adulterated, counterfeit and substandard drugs, food and beverages as a matter of urgent national importance requiring speedy and sustained national regulatory attention.
It also directed the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, state governments and other relevant agencies, to intensify nationwide surveillance, inspection, sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement operations against manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers involved in the production or sale of fake and substandard food and drinks.
The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Hon. Makki Yalleman at the plenary.
In adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committees on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards and Consumer Protection, to engage NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC and other relevant stakeholders to assess the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of existing enforcement measures with a view of addressing the scourge of fake, counterfeit and substandard foods, drinks and drugs and report to the House within four weeks for further legislative actions.
It equally mandated the committees to periodically review the progress being made by the responsible agencies in combating fake and substandard food and beverages and report their findings to the House within a reasonable period.
While presenting the motion, the lawmaker noted that access to safe, wholesome and quality food and beverages is essential to the health, well-being and productivity of Nigerians and remains an important part of public health and consumer protection.
Makka explained that standardised processing and hygiene practices prevent foodborne illnesses caused by harmful bacteria, chemical residues, expired ingredients or physical impurities, while also allowing Nigerian food businesses to freely penetrate regional and international markets, reducing rejections of exported products and boosting the economy.
He cited recent disturbing cases, which include the dismantling of illegal alcohol counterfeiting syndicates at Zamfara Plaza in Lagos Island on April 22, 2026 by NAFDAC, and the raiding of an illegal, unregistered fruit juice factory by officers of the NSCDC in Badagry, Lagos State on September 22 2026.
Yalleman expressed concern that the aforementioned cases comprises the growing production, distribution and sales of fake, adulterated, unregistered and substandard food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, beverages, bottled water and other products consumed daily by communities in Nigeria thereby putting Nigerians at risk of developing serious health issues.
“Also concerned that some unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors engage in practices such as counterfeiting established brands, altering labels and expiry dates, using inferior or contaminated raw materials, illegally reusing or refilling containers, and producing food and beverages outside approved regulatory standards thereby posing severe life-threatening public health risks, including acute poisoning, cancer and damages to vital organs like kidney, lung, liver, heart etc.
“Aware that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is established by law to regulate, among other products, food and bottled water, while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has statutory responsibilities relating to consumer protection and product safety”.
He observed that while the SON, NAFDAC and FCCPC, in exercising their complementary roles, are doing their best in ensuring that products placed on the Nigerian market for consumers meet the required standards and safety requirements, there are growing concerns about the circulation and sale of consumer products with misleading and deceptive information in respect of their products especially on their labels, including products information such as production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details and ingredient information.
“Also observed that while existing laws and regulations provide a basis for dealing with unsafe and non-compliant products, stronger implementation, better coordination and synergy among regulatory agencies, improved market surveillance and greater public awareness are needed to effectively respond to this menace plaguing our society;
“Disturbed that the increasing circulation of fake and substandard food and drinks poses serious risks to public health, particularly for children, the elderly and other vulnerable members of society, and may contribute to food-borne illnesses, poisoning and other preventable health problems;
“Also disturbed that with the presence of NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, the Police, NSCDC, the increasing circulation of fake and substandard food and drinks is a very disturbing development which calls for more legislative and executive actions.
“Recognises the need for more effective, efficient and better-coordinated result oriented surveillance, inspection, enforcement and timely prosecution throughout the food and beverage supply chain to rid the country of counterfeit and substandard products”.
The motion was unanimously adopted and referred to the relevant committees.