NAFDAC destroys N22.73bn unsafe products in eight months as crackdown intensifies

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed unsafe, falsified and non-compliant regulated products worth N22.73 billion between January and August 2026, as it intensified enforcement against goods that could expose consumers to health risks.

The agency recorded 5,542 enforcement activities, conducted 213 raids, logged 821 product seizure entries, closed or sealed 179 premises and made 52 arrests during the eight-month period, according to data from its Directorate of Investigation and Enforcement.

The enforcement drive covered a broad range of regulated products, including medicines, cosmetics, food, drinks, medical devices, packaged water and chemicals, highlighting the scale of regulatory oversight required to protect consumers from potentially harmful products.

The figures also raise questions about the effectiveness of preventive controls in Nigeria’s consumer goods market, where the volume of enforcement activity points to continuing challenges in ensuring that manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers comply with applicable safety and quality standards.

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Under the leadership of Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, the agency has sustained operations aimed at removing dangerous and substandard products from circulation, identifying operators responsible for violations and strengthening compliance across regulated sectors.

Beyond seizures and destruction, the agency handled 474 new cases and concluded 295 cases during the period. It also carried out 22 destruction exercises, imposed administrative sanctions and continued investigations into suspected regulatory violations.

The destruction of products worth N22.73 billion represents the cumulative outcome of these exercises, although the figure does not establish the total value of unsafe goods circulating in Nigeria or the financial losses consumers may have suffered from products that reached the market.

Enforcement activity gathered pace during the period, with July recording the highest monthly total of 1,089 activities, followed by May with 1,076 and August with 941. The monthly figures indicate sustained enforcement pressure, although the number of activities alone does not establish whether the overall prevalence of unsafe products increased or declined.

July also recorded the highest value of products destroyed in a single month. Four destruction exercises involving goods valued at N9.03 billion raised the cumulative value of destroyed products to N22.58 billion. Two further exercises in August, involving products worth N157.7 million, brought the eight-month total to N22.73 billion.

The value of destroyed products had reached N3.85 billion by the end of March after two destruction exercises in the month involving goods worth N2.56 billion. In May, five exercises involving products valued at N3.30 billion brought the cumulative total to N7.15 billion.

Eight destruction exercises in June, involving goods worth N6.40 billion, pushed the cumulative value to N13.55 billion. The subsequent jump in July accounted for a substantial share of the overall total, indicating that the value of products destroyed was concentrated in a few months rather than spread evenly across the reporting period.

In February, NAFDAC carried out one destruction exercise involving products worth N1.29 billion. No destruction exercise was recorded in January in the supplied monthly data.

The value of products destroyed, however, should be distinguished from the volume of enforcement operations. While July recorded the highest monthly destruction value and the highest number of enforcement activities, other months also recorded significant raids, seizures, closures and sanctions.

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Cosmetics, drinks feature prominently in seizure records

Cosmetics accounted for 401 of the 821 product seizure entries recorded between January and August, making them the largest category in the data. Drinks followed with 215 entries, while drugs accounted for 112, food for 69 and chemicals for 22.

Together, cosmetics and drinks accounted for 616 entries, approximately three-quarters of the total recorded seizure entries. The figures point to the importance of extending product safety oversight beyond the familiar problem of counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Unsafe cosmetics may contain prohibited or improperly declared ingredients, while contaminated or improperly manufactured drinks can pose risks to consumers. However, the seizure figures do not specify the nature of the violations in each case and should not be interpreted as evidence that every seized product was harmful for the same reason.

The monthly breakdown further illustrates how enforcement priorities varied across product categories.

In January, drinks accounted for 83 enforcement activities, followed by drugs with 60. NAFDAC recorded 232 activities during the month, conducted 20 raids, closed or sealed seven premises and made eight arrests. It imposed 19 sanctions and concluded 10 cases out of 35 newly reported cases.

Enforcement activity rose to 423 in February, when the agency conducted 36 raids, closed or sealed 47 premises and recorded 11 arrests. Seventeen sanctions were imposed, while 19 cases were concluded out of 55 new cases.

In March, the agency recorded 387 enforcement activities and conducted 20 raids. Nine premises were closed or sealed, 18 sanctions were imposed and 43 cases were concluded. Two destruction exercises involving products worth N2.56 billion took the cumulative value of destroyed goods to N3.85 billion.

April saw a significant expansion in operations, with 673 enforcement activities, 46 raids and 94 product seizure entries. NAFDAC closed or sealed 32 premises, made seven arrests and imposed 26 sanctions. Cosmetics accounted for 272 activities, while food products accounted for 183.

May recorded 1,076 enforcement activities, making it one of the busiest months of the period. Despite six raids, the agency recorded 90 seizure entries, closed or sealed 18 premises and imposed 35 sanctions. Chemicals accounted for 396 activities, while cosmetics accounted for 219.

The agency maintained its operations in June, recording 721 activities, 35 raids and 165 seizure entries. Nine premises were closed, seven arrests were made and 20 sanctions imposed. The eight destruction exercises carried out during the month involved products worth N6.40 billion.

In July, NAFDAC recorded 1,089 activities, 22 raids and 240 seizure entries. It closed or sealed 37 premises, made 12 arrests and imposed 49 sanctions. The agency concluded 59 cases against 97 newly reported cases, alongside the four destruction exercises involving products worth N9.03 billion.

August recorded 941 enforcement activities, 28 raids and 232 seizure entries. Twenty premises were closed or sealed, three arrests were made and 37 sanctions imposed. The agency concluded 69 cases against 61 newly reported cases, while two destruction exercises involving products worth N157.7 million brought the cumulative destruction value to N22.73 billion.

Enforcement extends beyond raids and seizures

NAFDAC’s regulatory work involves more than identifying and destroying unsafe products. Its enforcement process includes surveillance, evidence gathering, interrogation, laboratory analysis where required, administrative sanctions and the referral of cases for legal action.

These steps are important because removing a product from circulation does not necessarily identify the source of the violation or prevent the same operator from repeating it. Investigators must establish how a product entered the market, identify the manufacturers or distributors involved and determine whether the breach warrants prosecution or other sanctions.

The 295 cases concluded during the period therefore provide another measure of the agency’s activity beyond the destruction of goods. The figure shows that a substantial number of cases moved through the enforcement process, although the available data do not state how many resulted in convictions, how many remained pending or what proportion involved repeat offenders.

The distinction matters when assessing whether enforcement is translating into deterrence. Arrests, premises closures, seizures and destruction exercises demonstrate regulatory intervention, but their long-term impact depends partly on whether investigations lead to appropriate sanctions and whether offending businesses are prevented from returning to the market with non-compliant products.

The figures also do not provide a breakdown of the value of products destroyed by category, the number of individual products involved or the number of manufacturers and distributors implicated. Such information would help establish which sectors account for the greatest financial value of unsafe goods and where regulatory resources may be most urgently required.

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Compliance pressure rises for manufacturers and retailers

The enforcement figures place renewed emphasis on compliance obligations across Nigeria’s regulated consumer goods market. Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers are expected to meet applicable requirements on product registration, labelling, manufacturing practices, storage and quality control.

For manufacturers and importers, failures in registration or product standards can lead to seizures, business closures, financial losses and potential legal consequences. Distributors and retailers also face risks when they source goods through unauthorised channels or fail to verify that products meet the relevant regulatory requirements.

The broad range of categories covered by the enforcement drive means that compliance is not confined to pharmaceutical companies. Operators in cosmetics, beverages, food processing, packaged water and chemicals also fall within the agency’s regulatory responsibilities.

Consumers remain an important part of the surveillance process. Purchasing products from reputable outlets, checking registration information where possible and reporting suspicious goods can help authorities identify potential violations. Consumer awareness, however, cannot replace the responsibility of manufacturers and distributors to ensure that products meet required safety standards before reaching the market.

NAFDAC’s figures suggest that enforcement remains a significant part of the effort to protect public health. Yet the number and value of products destroyed also underline the need to strengthen systems that prevent unsafe goods from entering the supply chain.

Improved intelligence gathering, market surveillance, laboratory capacity, inter-agency collaboration and effective prosecution can help regulators identify violations earlier and hold responsible operators accountable. Stronger monitoring of manufacturing, importation, distribution and retail channels would also help address weaknesses before products reach consumers.

Ultimately, the N22.73 billion worth of products destroyed between January and August is a measure of the scale of NAFDAC’s intervention, not by itself proof of the overall effectiveness of the regulatory system. The more important test will be whether the crackdown reduces the circulation of unsafe products, improves compliance and makes repeated violations more difficult.

As NAFDAC sustains its enforcement drive, the challenge will be to turn seizures, closures and destruction exercises into lasting improvements in product safety, consumer protection and accountability across Nigeria’s regulated markets.