The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has dismissed several unverified claims circulating on social media about allegedly fake and unsafe food products in Nigeria.
The agency says social media allegations alone do not establish that a product is counterfeit, adulterated or unsafe, stressing that such claims must be independently investigated.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, says the agency takes immediate action when investigations confirm violations, including issuing public alerts, seizing and recalling products, destroying them and prosecuting offenders.
The agency says its regulatory powers cover processed and packaged food products, while unbranded and unpackaged items sold in open markets, such as palm oil and fufu, fall mainly under the responsibility of state and local authorities.
It adds that fresh imported produce, including apples, grapes and oranges, is regulated by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.
NAFDAC says it remains concerned about the use of calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits, the adulteration of palm oil with harmful chemicals and reports of bleach being used in fufu production.
The agency also says laboratory tests conducted in May 2026 confirmed that NAFDAC-registered bread products are safe for consumption.
Between May and July 2026, NAFDAC says its Post-Market Surveillance Directorate inspected 6,233 facilities nationwide and removed 7,210 non-compliant products from circulation.
Food and water products account for the highest number of removals at 3,633, followed by drugs and herbal products with 2,459, and cosmetics with 911.
The agency says it has also secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting, with offenders receiving prison sentences ranging from one to seven years without the option of a fine.
NAFDAC says major enforcement operations between 2023 and 2026 have led to the destruction and seizure of counterfeit, expired and banned products worth billions of naira.
The agency urges consumers to report suspected fake or non-compliant products through its official channels rather than social media, to enable proper investigation and enforcement.