Nigerians have called out The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria over the growing circulation of suspected counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
The concern has intensified as Nigerians increasingly turn to social media to expose food, drugs, cosmetics, beverages, toothpaste and other consumer products they suspect may be fake, adulterated or potentially harmful.
Videos and posts circulating on platforms including X, formerly Twitter, TikTok and Instagram have drawn widespread attention to products reportedly found in local markets, prompting fresh questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s regulatory and enforcement systems.
NAFDAC and SON have statutory responsibilities for regulating products within their respective mandates, ensuring compliance with approved standards and protecting consumers from unsafe and substandard goods.
However, the growing number of reports shared online has fuelled concerns about how suspected counterfeit products continue to enter and circulate in the market despite the existence of regulatory controls.
Some of the claims making the rounds on social media have yet to be independently verified. Nevertheless, the campaign has heightened consumer anxiety and renewed calls for more aggressive market surveillance, product testing and enforcement by the relevant authorities.
Across social media, individuals and consumer advocates have shared videos identifying products they believe to be counterfeit or suspicious, while warning others to exercise caution when purchasing food, medicines, cosmetics and household products.
The growing online campaign is now placing additional pressure on regulatory agencies to strengthen surveillance, swiftly investigate reported cases and ensure that products found to be fake, adulterated or below approved standards are removed from circulation.
