NAFDAC uncovers illegal herbal products factory in Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered an illegal herbal products factory in Agege, Lagos, where unregistered products were manufactured under unhygienic conditions.

The agency said one of the products bore a fake registration number belonging to a registered cough syrup, exposing consumers to potential health risks.

NAFDAC disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, following intelligence received on October 16 about the production of Aishetu Adams Bitters using an allegedly falsified registration number.

It said its officers conducted surveillance and gathered intelligence before locating the facility concealed within a residential building in Agege.

“What we found was shocking. The facility was in a very poor and unhygienic condition,” the agency said.

According to NAFDAC, three products were identified at the facility: Ashietu Adams Herbal Mixture for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Ashietu Adams Blood Purifier and a product claiming to treat high blood pressure.

The agency said its enforcement team evacuated the products during an initial visit and sealed the facility pending further investigation.

It added that the facility manager, Abulaziz Sayidu, was arrested for interrogation, while the alleged owner, Ashietu Adams, had absconded.

NAFDAC said the products’ packaging indicated they originated from Ghana but did not include the manufacturer’s name or a verifiable address establishing their place of manufacture.

The agency urged Nigerians not to assume products were safe merely because they displayed NAFDAC registration numbers. It advised consumers to verify registration numbers through its online platforms and Greenbook before purchasing regulated products.

The agency’s spokesperson, Christiana Obiazikwor, called for greater public involvement in combating counterfeit and unregistered products.

Ms Obiazikwor, who was present during the enforcement operation, warned property owners against allowing their buildings to be used for illegal manufacturing activities. She said NAFDAC was intensifying public education through radio programmes, multilingual jingles and community sensitisation campaigns targeting rural and grassroots communities.

Ms Obiazikwor identified ‘NAFDAC and Your Health’ as one of the agency’s programmes designed to educate the public about the dangers of fake and unregistered products, particularly in communities with limited internet access.

“These products do not have batch numbers or the manufacturer’s address. These are important details that help establish the identity and traceability of a product. We cannot fight this battle alone. Every Nigerian has a role to play by identifying and reporting places where illegal manufacturing activities are taking place,” she said.