NAFDAC is apparently on a warpath with counterfeiters but Nigerians have a double role to play if this fight would amount to anything.
A viral list circulating on social media and purportedly identifying products declared fake by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has been found to combine regulatory actions issued by the agency over several years.
The list names popular brands and products including Cowbell, Peak Milk, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, rice brands, medicines, cosmetics and food products, prompting concerns among consumers.
However, a review of NAFDAC’s official safety alerts, recalls and enforcement notices shows that the agency did not issue a single recent alert declaring all the products and brands on the viral list fake.
Rather, the compilation brings together different regulatory actions involving counterfeit, falsified, unregistered and substandard products, as well as recalls prompted by safety or quality concerns.
In some cases, NAFDAC’s warnings applied only to specific batches, variants, packaging or products found in particular locations.
This distinction is important because a warning about counterfeit versions of a genuine brand does not mean the legitimate brand itself has been declared fake.
In August 2025, NAFDAC alerted the public to counterfeit Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachets found circulating in Nigeria.
The agency said the products were imitations of genuine Cowbell packaging and were neither manufactured nor distributed by Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
NAFDAC also noted that Promasidor had discontinued the production of the “Our Milk” variant in September 2023 and replaced it with Cowbell “Our Creamy Goodness”.
The alert therefore concerned counterfeit products bearing the Cowbell name, rather than all Cowbell products.
Several other familiar names on the viral list were linked to NAFDAC enforcement operations against counterfeit beverages and food products.
In 2025, the agency shut down facilities at Aba’s Cemetery Market where counterfeit and adulterated drinks were allegedly being produced.
Among the brands found on cloned packaging were Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and Lacasera. Other products included Hollandia Yoghurt, Super Commando Energy, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta.
Counterfeit versions of Peak Sachet Milk, Cowbell Sachet Milk, Peak Chocolate Drink, Miksi Sachet Milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink and Ovaltine were also reportedly discovered.
According to NAFDAC, the products were being manufactured under unhygienic conditions using cloned packaging associated with legitimate brands.
The enforcement action was therefore directed at counterfeit production operations and the products recovered from them, rather than a blanket declaration against the genuine brands.
A similar situation occurred with rice. In March 2025, NAFDAC seized more than 120 bags of suspected counterfeit rice in Rivers State. Investigators found empty bags and packaging bearing names including Big Bull, Cap Rice, Stallion Rice, Tomato Rice and Mama Pride.
The agency said the rice was being repackaged and sold using packaging designed to imitate established brands.
Again, the regulatory action related to counterfeit packaging and repackaging operations.
Some of the medicines mentioned in the viral compilation were the subject of genuine NAFDAC alerts, but the circumstances varied.
An August 2025 alert concerning Postinor-2 involved specific falsified batches of the emergency contraceptive. NAFDAC identified differences in packaging and verification stickers and said the affected batches had not been imported by the authorised marketing company.
The agency also warned about counterfeit Noristerat Injection 200mg and falsified Cikatem in March 2025, while a separate April 2025 alert concerned counterfeit Aflotin 20/120 tablets.
These alerts involved specific counterfeit or falsified products circulating in the market. They did not mean that every genuine version of the medicines had been declared fake.
Other products on the viral list were subject to recalls because of quality or safety concerns.
NAFDAC recalled Amoxivue 500mg in 2025 after laboratory testing found significantly low levels of its active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Juhel Folic Acid Tablets were also recalled after being classified as substandard, while Regpara 25mg was the subject of a recall linked to an impurity concern.
These cases demonstrate why the terms “counterfeit”, “substandard” and “recalled” should not be used interchangeably.
NAFDAC’s 2024 alert on ZACEF-TZ Injection involved an unregistered product carrying a falsified NAFDAC registration number and similarities to the registered EXACEF-TZ.
Another example is OXYCONTIN 80mg. A 2025 NAFDAC alert concerned a falsified batch detected in Switzerland as part of an international safety alert. The notice did not amount to a declaration that OXYCONTIN generally sold in Nigeria was fake.
Some cosmetics and household products appearing on the viral list have also featured in individual NAFDAC safety notices.
Dove Beauty Cream Bar, for example, was subject to a 2024 recall over a safety concern involving BMHCA. NAFDAC also issued an alert concerning the recall of Nivea Roll-On Deodorant following a safety concern raised through the European rapid-alert system.
Kinder Surprise products were also involved in a recall in 2022.
Japata Alcoholic Bitters appeared in a 2022 NAFDAC alert involving adulterated lots.
In each instance, however, the specific reason and scope of the regulatory action matter.
The viral compilation becomes even more problematic when it moves from specific products to broad categories such as palm oil, honey, fish, chicken, meat and yoghurt.
NAFDAC has conducted investigations and enforcement operations involving adulterated or unsafe food products, but this does not mean the agency has declared entire food categories fake.
In September 2026, the agency rejected social media claims concerning allegedly fake or adulterated yoghurt, palm oil, fish, chicken, water and beverages, stressing that products must be properly investigated and scientifically tested before such conclusions can be reached.
Consumers should therefore avoid treating the list as a blanket blacklist. The appropriate approach is to verify the specific product, batch, variant, packaging and NAFDAC registration details against the agency’s official alerts before drawing conclusions about a product or brand.
