By Nigeria’s food and drug regulators are facing intense public pressure after a wave of social media exposes showed counterfeit food, drugs, cosmetics and other consumer goods circulating widely in local markets, reviving hard questions about how the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria are meant to protect consumers in the first place.
A Campaign That Took a Darker Turn
The online campaign gained fresh urgency following the recent deaths of prominent Nigerians, including veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, who died of cancer, alongside a string of other sudden deaths that have fuelled speculation about possible links to counterfeit product consumption. In recent months, Nigerians on X, TikTok and Instagram have been sharing side by side comparisons, informal market investigations and practical spotting tips, with doctors, everyday citizens and content creators alike turning personal discoveries into viral public awareness campaigns.
Toothpaste, Yoghurt and Paracetamol Under the Microscope
One of the most widely circulated examples involved suspected fake Oral-B toothpaste. A Nigerian doctor, Somto Okonkwo, posted a detailed comparison video showing genuine and counterfeit tubes side by side, highlighting differences in packaging quality, seals, texture, translucency and taste, a clip that gained further traction after UK based Nigerian physician Dr Olufunmilayo Ogunsanya amplified it. Okonkwo said he visited between five and seven shops and found every one of them stocking counterfeit Oral-B, with many sellers apparently unaware they were selling fakes, and warned that while genuine products typically use safe glycerine, some counterfeits substitute the toxic chemical diethylene glycol instead.
Fake food products drew similar attention. Videos circulating in early September showed counterfeit Hollandia yoghurt being packaged under unsanitary conditions, shared by accounts including @_InsideNigeria and @KosoNwa1, who questioned NAFDAC’s response and urged consumers to stay vigilant. Earlier comparison videos, including one from a couple who poured genuine and suspected fake yoghurt into clear cups to compare thickness, creaminess and barcode presence, added further fuel to the online conversation.
On September 4, Ogunsanya posted photos of two paracetamol tablets allegedly from the same manufacturer that differed noticeably in colour when placed side by side, warning that consumers would likely never notice such discrepancies without a direct comparison and that either one or both tablets were likely fake. He was blunt in laying blame on the regulator, accusing NAFDAC of failing its basic duties.
A Growing List of Complaints
Beyond toothpaste and yoghurt, X users have reported a wide range of alleged fakes, including dyed palm oil, apples painted from green to red, counterfeit soy sauce and olive oil, substandard chicken and fish, fake water, soda, and alcoholic drinks, and inconsistent Hollandia texture depending on where it was purchased. One user, Oluwole Olofintuyi, listed a sweeping catalogue of suspected fakes spanning milk, yoghurt, bread, palm oil, rice, medicines, toothpaste, baby formula, beverages, toothbrushes, bottled and sachet water, vehicle parts and tyres, and suggested the scale of the problem pointed to possible compromise within the regulatory system itself.
Others echoed similar frustration. Chinedu Samuel questioned whether NAFDAC’s priorities were misplaced. At the same time, Mac Araga argued the agency had grown more focused on revenue generation than its core mandate. Abou Opeyemi called for NAFDAC, SON, and the Consumer Protection Council to work together with the NDLEA and police, describing the situation as warranting a declared state of emergency on fake drugs. Several commentators called for tighter surveillance at ports, warehouses, markets, and online platforms, alongside tougher prosecution for manufacturers, importers, and distributors of counterfeit goods.
NAFDAC’s Own Seizure Record
NAFDAC’s recent enforcement history shows the scale of what it faces. In February, the agency reported seizing more than 10 million doses of fake malaria medicine and other pharmaceutical products at the Lagos Trade Fair Market and separately uncovered a hidden warehouse inside an uncompleted building in Apapa stocked with banned, fake, and unregistered medicines worth over N3bn, alongside prohibited injectable antimalarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, and blister packs mixed in with perfumes, body oils, and cooking oils.
In 2025, the agency disclosed that roughly 30% of drugs sold in open markets were fake or substandard, and in March that year it seized and destroyed N1tn worth of confiscated drugs, including banned Analgin and high dose Tramadol, following raids on notorious drug markets in Onitsha, Ogbo-Ogwu and Aba.
Doctors Warn of Organ Damage
Medical professionals interviewed described real health consequences tied to counterfeit consumption. Dr Rotimi Adesanya, Director of Medical Services at the Medical Centre of the Federal College of Education, Akoka, said counterfeit drugs, foods, and drinks can contain contaminants capable of damaging the liver and kidneys and linked rising cases of liver failure, kidney failure, heart problems,, and fertility issues to chemicals found in fake products. He attributed the trend partly to poverty, noting that many Nigerians turn to cheaper alternatives out of economic necessity, and explained the common confusion between “best before” labelling and true expiry dates, warning that while expired drugs may not necessarily kill, their reduced potency means they often fail to do the job they were meant to do. He urged NAFDAC to intensify routine shelf checks and product surveillance.
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos State, Dr Saheed Babajide, blamed the problem on weak enforcement, pointing to past NAFDAC raids in Idumota and Aba that failed to stop the trade long-term because of what he described as an absent regulatory backbone. He warned that substandard and fake medicines can cause renal damage, kidney and heart complications, and mental health challenges, and that ineffective antimalarials in particular can prolong illness, increase hospital admissions, and pile extra costs onto patients who might otherwise have recovered faster with genuine treatment. He called for legislation removing bail and fines as options for anyone convicted of circulating fake drugs, describing the issue as one requiring urgent government action.
Calls to Overhaul the Regulators
Lagos-based commentator Segun Odunewu called for a complete overhaul of NAFDAC, arguing that the agency bears little resemblance to its more effective era under former Director-General Dora Akunyili, and suggested the current Director-General should resign, accusing the agency of prioritising revenue generation over public health protection.
Not everyone agreed that scrapping the agencies was the answer. Public affairs analyst Adebayo Abubakar argued NAFDAC and SON exist precisely to protect consumers and enforce standards and that the priority should be strengthening their capacity and holding them accountable rather than abolishing them, while acknowledging that counterfeit medicines, adulterated food, fake electrical products, substandard building materials and imitation consumer goods remain visible throughout Nigerian markets. Another analyst, Musa Aliyu, called for a review of the National Policy on the Contamination of Drugs and Unwholesome Practices of Pharmaceuticals, arguing the problem extends beyond medicines and requires stronger community-level partnership and awareness, alongside decentralising NAFDAC’s operations to improve monitoring nationwide.
Lawyers Push for a State of Emergency
Lagos-based dispute resolution lawyer Muhammed Adam argued the scale of counterfeit circulation amounts to organized economic and public health sabotage deserving the same urgency as terrorism, since, in his words, Nigerians are being killed slowly and quietly. He cited Nigeria Customs Service seizures involving expired medicines and fake NAFDAC-labelled products, including one Apapa area seizure reportedly valued at N53.4bn, and a separate interception of N1.2bn worth of fake antimalarial drugs allegedly disguised as spare parts, arguing that counterfeiters increasingly exploit online transactions and groupage cargo to slip past detection. He warned that the human cost includes people dying from malaria treatments that never worked, antibiotics that never fought infection, mercury- and-steroid-laced cosmetics, and failed auto and electrical parts, and argued that when citizens cannot trust their medicine, food or water, the underlying social contract itself begins to break down.
Fellow lawyer Ibrahim Adebayo accused regulators, NAFDAC in particular, of abandoning the more aggressive posture it once took against counterfeiters, alleging that some officials may be colluding with the very criminals they are meant to police, leaving the agency to issue warnings without meaningful follow-through. He argued that an agency receiving billions of naira annually from the federal budget owes Nigerians visible results in enforcement, prosecution, and public health protection and called for tighter coordination between NAFDAC, SON, Customs, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and security agencies, alongside stronger port, warehouse, market, and online surveillance and better intelligence sharing to close the gaps counterfeiters currently exploit, including in the digital marketplace.
Regulators Respond, or Don’t
NAFDAC’s Head of Enforcement, Dr Martin Iluyomade, declined to comment when contacted, with calls to his mobile number going unanswered and WhatsApp messages left unacknowledged as of press time.
SON, meanwhile, deflected entirely. A senior source at the agency, speaking on condition of anonymity, redirected all inquiries to NAFDAC, stating that matters relating to the regulation and circulation of fake, substandard, and falsified medicines fall squarely within NAFDAC’s purview, and asked that any questions about SON’s own mandate be submitted in writing to its Director-General.
(Punch)
