By Olusegun Samuel Precious
Nigeria’s primary regulatory bodies, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), are facing mounting public pressure following a massive surge in counterfeit consumer goods circulating across the country’s open markets.
In recent weeks, citizens, medical professionals, and content creators have taken to social platforms including X, TikTok, and Instagram to launch viral public service campaigns. These digital exposés feature side-by-side product comparisons, market walkthroughs, and practical guides to help buyers spot dangerous knockoffs ranging from pharmaceuticals and beverages to toiletries and household staples.
The campaign has intensified following public anxiety over a series of sudden deaths and high-profile health tragedies, including the passing of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo) from cancer, prompting consumers to question potential links to hazardous fake goods.
Among the prominent alerts raised online:
Pharmaceuticals: Visual comparisons highlighted batch discrepancies in everyday over-the-counter drugs like paracetamol, alongside warnings about ineffective or compromised active ingredients.
Oral Care: Doctors demonstrated stark differences in packaging, texture, and seals between genuine and fake Oral-B toothpaste, warning that illicit formulations often swap safe glycerine for toxic industrial substitutes like diethylene glycol.
Food & Beverages: Viral videos exposed unsanitary packaging operations for counterfeit Hollandia yoghurt, dyed palm oil, painted apples, and adulterated alcoholic beverages.
Medical experts have warned that toxic chemicals in illicit goods pose immediate life-threatening risks. Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, Director of Medical Services at the FCE Akoka Medical Centre, noted that exposure to untracked contaminants directly contributes to organ failure, heart complications, and long-term damage to the liver and kidneys. Former NMA Lagos Chairman Dr. Saheed Babajide added that substandard medicines exacerbate healthcare pressures when patients fail to recover from routine illnesses like malaria.
Legal practitioners and public policy analysts are urging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on market counterfeiting, calling for an overhaul of regulatory operations, stricter enforcement at ports and warehouses, and harsher criminal prosecutions without options for bail or fines.
While NAFDAC operations have previously resulted in multi-billion naira seizures—including over 10 million doses of fake antimalarial drugs in early 2026—critics argue that current enforcement remains insufficient to match the scale of market infiltration. Neither NAFDAC nor SON has issued an official statement responding to the latest surge in consumer allegations.
