A coalition of senior clergy has called for stronger regulatory oversight of anointing oils, acknowledging that churches lack the technical capacity to distinguish between genuine and adulterated products.
The appeal from the Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, Archbishops, Apostles and Senior Clergy follows the recent discovery by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of an illegal facility in Lagos producing counterfeit Goya oil, a brand commonly used in churches for prayers, healing, and spiritual rituals.
In an interview with newsmen, the organization’s International Secretary, Osazee William, commended NAFDAC for the operation, describing it as “timely and commendable.”
“God bless NAFDAC officials for such a wonderful discovery. This shows that NAFDAC is rising to the occasion,” William stated.
He explained that Goya oil is widely adopted in churches for anointing once consecrated through prayer, but noted that most congregations cannot verify the purity or safety of the oil before use.
The product is also marketed and consumed as a premium edible oil for cooking, frying, and skincare, raising additional public health concerns beyond its liturgical use.
The clerics urged NAFDAC to intensify monitoring and enforcement across the supply chain to protect both religious consumers and the general public from potentially harmful adulterated products.
