The Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sounded the alarm over the circulation of unsafe and unregistered consumer goods, following the seizure of more than 10,000 cartons of illicit tomato paste and cosmetic products at Lagos’s Trade Fair Market.
In a statement released on Friday, and obtained by Africa health report, NAFDAC announced that a five-day enforcement operation focused on the cosmetics section of the market, where investigators discovered banned and counterfeit products, including creams, soaps, body sprays, toothpaste, air fresheners, and tomato paste brands such as Royal IV and FINARL. These items were found to be fraudulently using an expired NAFDAC registration number.
“The safety of these seized products cannot be assured as they bypassed NAFDAC’s rigorous regulatory checks,” said the agency’s Director of Investigation & Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade. “We are steadfast in our mission to ensure only safe, effective, and duly registered products reach Nigerian consumers.”
NAFDAC reiterated that the importation of tinned tomato paste is prohibited to promote local production, warning that those behind the illicit trade will face prosecution.
The agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid products without valid NAFDAC numbers, stressing that unregulated goods “pose serious public health risks” and undermine consumer safety.
