Reps demand urgent action against fake, adulterated food and drinks
The lawmakers urged NAFDAC, SON and FCCPC, alongside security agencies and state governments, to intensify surveillance, inspection, laboratory testing and enforcement against manufacturers and distributors of fake and…
The proliferation of fake and adulterated food, drinks and other consumables has long been a public health concern in Nigeria, with regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC (the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) mandated to monitor product quality, enforce standards and protect consumers from counterfeit and substandard goods. Despite periodic crackdowns and product recalls, weak enforcement, porous borders, and the vast informal market for packaged foods and beverages have made it difficult to fully curb the circulation of unsafe items, which health experts link to poisoning cases and other illnesses.
The House of Representatives' intervention adds legislative pressure on these agencies and state governments to strengthen surveillance, inspection and laboratory testing, as well as enforcement against manufacturers and distributors found culpable. Both Premium Times and Punch report the same resolution, with Premium Times detailing the specific agencies named and the range of enforcement measures demanded, while Punch frames it more broadly as a call on the Federal Government to act. Neither report yet specifies a timeline for compliance, funding for expanded enforcement, or what sanctions would apply to violators.