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By Doris Obinna
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed unsafe and non-compliant products worth N22.73 billion between January and August 2026, as its enforcement team intensified nationwide operations against fake drugs, adulterated food, unsafe cosmetics and other regulated products.
The crackdown recorded 5,542 enforcement activities, 213 raids, 821 product seizure entries, 179 premises closed or sealed and 52 arrests within the eight-month period, underscoring the scale of the agency’s efforts to rid the Nigerian market of potentially harmful products.
The enforcement drive, led by Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, was sustained by the agency’s Directorate of Investigation and Enforcement, headed by Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in Nigeria.
The directorate also recorded 474 new cases, concluded 295 cases and conducted 22 destruction exercises during the period, targeting violations across food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, drinks and chemicals.
Monthly figures show that enforcement activities gathered momentum as the year progressed, with July recording the highest number of activities and the largest value of destroyed products.
In January, NAFDAC recorded 232 enforcement activities, including 20 raids, seven premises closed or sealed and eight arrests. Drinks accounted for 83 activities, while drugs accounted for 60. The agency imposed 19 sanctions and concluded 10 cases out of 35 newly reported cases.
Enforcement activity rose to 423 in February, with 36 raids, 47 premises closed or sealed and 11 arrests. The agency imposed 17 sanctions, concluded 19 cases out of 55 newly reported cases and conducted a destruction exercise involving products valued at ₦1.29 billion.
In March, the directorate recorded 387 activities, conducted 20 raids, closed or sealed nine premises and imposed 18 sanctions. It concluded 43 cases and carried out two destruction exercises involving products worth N2.56 billion, bringing the cumulative value of destroyed goods to N3.85 billion.
April saw a significant increase, with 673 enforcement activities, 46 raids and 94 product seizure entries. The agency closed or sealed 32 premises, made seven arrests and imposed 26 sanctions. Cosmetics accounted for 272 activities, followed by food products with 183.
May recorded 1,076 enforcement activities, making it one of the busiest months in the period. The directorate recorded 90 seizure entries, closed or sealed 18 premises and imposed 35 sanctions. Five destruction exercises involving products worth N3.30 billion brought the cumulative value of destroyed goods to N7.15 billion. Chemicals accounted for 396 activities, while cosmetics accounted for 219.
In June, NAFDAC recorded 721 activities, 35 raids and 165 seizure entries. Nine premises were closed, seven arrests were made and 20 sanctions imposed. Eight destruction exercises involving products worth N6.40 billion pushed the cumulative value of destroyed goods to N13.55 billion.
July recorded the highest monthly enforcement activity, with 1,089 activities, 22 raids and 240 seizure entries. The agency closed or sealed 37 premises, made 12 arrests and imposed 49 sanctions. It also concluded 59 cases out of 97 newly reported cases.
Four destruction exercises in July involved products valued at ₦9.03 billion, the highest monthly figure recorded during the period, bringing the cumulative value of destroyed goods to N22.58 billion.
In August, the directorate sustained its operations with 941 enforcement activities, 28 raids and 232 seizure entries. It closed or sealed 20 premises, made three arrests and imposed 37 sanctions. Sixty-nine cases were concluded against 61 newly reported cases, while two destruction exercises involving products worth N157.7 million brought the total value of destroyed goods to N22.73 billion.
The combined figures show that cosmetics featured prominently in seizure activity, accounting for 401 entries, followed by drinks with 215, drugs with 112, food with 69 and chemicals with 22.
The pattern highlights the breadth of the enforcement challenge confronting NAFDAC, which extends beyond counterfeit medicines to include unsafe cosmetics, improperly produced beverages, adulterated food and hazardous chemicals.
Under Iluyomade’s leadership, the directorate’s responsibilities extend beyond raids and seizures to surveillance, intelligence gathering, investigation, evidence collection, administrative sanctions and the processing of cases for legal action. These activities are aimed at identifying offenders, tracing the sources of illegal products and disrupting the supply chains through which they reach consumers.
The conclusion of 295 cases during the period also points to the legal and administrative dimension of the agency’s enforcement work, although the figures do not indicate how many resulted in convictions or other final judicial outcomes.
The volume of enforcement activity, however, underscores the continuing challenge of keeping unsafe and non-compliant products out of the Nigerian market.
Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers are expected to comply with applicable registration, labelling, storage and quality standards, while consumers can support regulatory efforts by purchasing products from reputable outlets and reporting suspicious goods.
For NAFDAC and its enforcement team, the N22.73 billion worth of products destroyed represents a substantial volume of goods removed from circulation. The broader test, however, will be whether sustained investigations, effective prosecution, stronger surveillance and preventive measures can make it harder for unsafe products to enter the market in the first place.
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