The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says its Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate mopped up 7,210 regulated products during nationwide routine surveillance conducted between May and July 2026.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos on Monday.
Adeyeye said the products mopped up comprised food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, chemicals and other regulated products across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
She said the surveillance exercise covered 6,233 facilities across the agency’s food and water, drugs and herbals, cosmetics and chemicals regulatory areas.
The NAFDAC boss said food and water accounted for the highest number of products mopped up during the period, with 3,633 products recovered nationwide.
She said drugs and herbals followed with 2,459 products mopped up during the three-month surveillance exercise.
She noted that drugs and herbals accounted for the highest number of facilities visited, with 2,084 facilities inspected across the country.
She added that Food and Water followed with 1,808 facilities visited during the period under review.
Adeyeye said medical devices accounted for 183 products mopped up from 1,077 facilities, while cosmetics recorded 911 products from 821 facilities visited.
She further disclosed that vaccines and biologics accounted for three products mopped up from 268 facilities, while chemicals recorded 21 products from 175 facilities.
The director-general said recent NAFDAC publications concerning suspected counterfeit toothpaste, food products, medicines and other regulated products had demonstrated increasing public participation in regulatory intelligence gathering.
Adeyeye said members of the public had become important sources of regulatory intelligence, capable of triggering investigations, verification and regulatory communication concerning suspected regulated products in Nigeria.
She said concerns reported by members of the public regarding Oral-B and Colgate toothpaste were investigated by the agency, while an alert concerning Colgate was published on NAFDAC’s official websites.
Adeyeye also disclosed that surveillance findings revealed the counterfeiting of CWAY dispenser bottles by three companies using empty 19-litre bottles bearing the identities or branding of registered water companies.
According to her, the companies used the bottles without evidence of authorisation to produce or distribute the products, before collecting and refilling them with water from unapproved production sources.
She said the products were subsequently introduced into the market for sale and distribution to major hotels and supermarkets, adding that the operators were heavily sanctioned by the agency.
Adeyeye said such practices posed significant regulatory and public health concerns, including product misrepresentation, contamination, poor hygienic practices and traceability challenges for consumers.(NAN)
