Fake Products Flood Nigerian Markets: Nigerians Ask, “What Is NAFDAC Doing?”

From medicines and cosmetics to food, drinks and other everyday consumer products, the growing presence of suspected fake and substandard products in Nigerian markets is raising fresh questions about regulation, enforcement and consumer safety. For many Nigerians, the concern is no longer simply about finding a cheaper product. The bigger question is whether consumers can confidently tell the difference between an original product and a counterfeit one before making a purchase. The issue has become particularly worrying for products that can directly affect health. A counterfeit or substandard medicine, cosmetic or food product can expose consumers to serious risks, making effective monitoring and enforcement essential. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is legally responsible for regulating food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and other products under its mandate. NAFDAC’s current regulatory systems include a digital platform for checking registered products and a Greenbook database where consumers can search for registered products. The agency also provides a mechanism for reporting suspected substandard, falsified or unregistered medical products. NAFDAC’s 2024–2027 strategic plan also identifies surveillance, investigations and enforcement as key activities. Among its targets is the conduct of 800 surveillance operations annually, alongside investigations intended to result in enforcement actions. The existence of regulatory systems does not automatically eliminate counterfeit products from the market. Consumers continue to encounter products they suspect may be fake, improperly labelled, unregistered or otherwise unsafe. This has intensified calls for stronger market surveillance, more frequent enforcement operations and tougher action against manufacturers, importers and distributors involved in illegal products. There is also a responsibility on consumers and retailers to verify products before buying or selling them. NAFDAC’s online systems allow consumers to check registration information, while its reporting platform allows suspected falsified or unregistered medical products to be reported with details such as the product, source, location and photographic evidence. As fake and suspected counterfeit products continue to generate public concern, Nigerians are asking a straightforward question: If regulatory agencies are conducting inspections and surveillance, how are so many questionable products still reaching markets and consumers? The answer requires more than enforcement after fake products have already entered circulation. It also raises questions about supply chains, border controls, manufacturing standards, market surveillance, retailer compliance and consumer awareness. For NAFDAC, the challenge is not only registering products but ensuring that products already on the shelves remain compliant throughout the supply chain. For consumers, the message is equally important: check before you buy, verify registration where possible, and report suspicious products rather than assuming that every product carrying a regulatory number is automatically genuine. The growing public concern therefore puts renewed attention on the effectiveness of Nigeria’s entire product-regulation system and on whether existing enforcement measures are sufficient to keep counterfeit and substandard products away from consumers.