National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja’s Jabi District and eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market for multiple violations of Nigeria’s food and drug laws.
NAFDAC disclosed the enforcement action in a statement on Friday signed by its Deputy Director of Public Relations, Adegboyega Osiyemi. The agency said products worth over ₦170 million were confiscated and evacuated during the raid, which was carried out by its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in collaboration with the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines.
According to NAFDAC, the supermarkets—located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street—were shut after surveillance revealed they were selling unregistered food items labelled only in Chinese, contrary to the agency’s mandatory requirement for English translations on products sold in Nigeria.
“Despite initial resistance and denial by the operator of the Ebitu Street supermarket that the outlet was not yet in operation, the enforcement team confirmed it was fully functional and engaged in the sale of unregistered regulated products,” the agency stated.
In a related operation, NAFDAC also sealed eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market for selling banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines. Investigations revealed that some individuals were illegally posing as dermatologists and pharmacists, prescribing harmful products for body enhancement, skin whitening, and sexual performance.
Items confiscated included Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Skin Whitening Gummies, Collagen, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, Royal Jelly, Curvy Weight Gain supplements, Boobs Enlargement products, Dr. Nafisa Herbal Medicine, Dynewell Syrup, and other unapproved formulations.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, warned that such toxic substances pose serious health risks, including kidney damage, skin cancer, irritability, and memory loss.
“The agency hereby reaffirms its commitment to enforcing compliance with NAFDAC regulations and advises Nigerian consumers to patronize only products duly registered by NAFDAC,” she said.
The agency further advised foreign nationals and investors intending to sell products in Nigeria to register with NAFDAC offices nationwide to avoid sanctions.