Two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja have been sealed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for reportedly selling unapproved and improperly labelled products.
The enforcement, which also affected eight cosmetics shops at Wuse Market, was announced in a press release on Friday, signed by Adegboyega Osiyemi, Deputy Director of Public Relations/Protocol.
NAFDAC, in a statement, explained that the action followed the directive of its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
“Acting on the directive of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the enforcement team confiscated and evacuated offending products worth over N170m,” the statement read.
The agency stated that the operation was conducted by the NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, in collaboration with the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods, led by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer Musa Embugushiki.
“The supermarkets, situated on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi District, Abuja, were sealed following credible consumer complaints and subsequent surveillance by the NAFDAC Enforcement Team, which revealed that the operators were engaged in the sale of unregistered food items and products labelled exclusively in the Chinese language, contrary to NAFDAC’s mandatory labelling policy requiring English translations for the Nigerian market and regulatory understanding,” it explained.
The statement noted that although a foreign national at Ebitu Ukiwe Street denied the supermarket was operational, the enforcement team confirmed it was in full operation and selling unregistered regulated products.
“In a related operation, eight cosmetics shops within Wuse Market were also sealed for the sale of banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines,” it stated.
According to NAFDAC, investigations revealed that some individuals had been falsely presenting themselves as dermatologists and pharmacists, prescribing and selling dangerous products for skin whitening, body enhancement, aesthetic improvement, and male performance.
Among the confiscated products were Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement, Curvy Weight Gain, Skin Whitening Vitamin Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, Maiz Zaki Syrup, Original Herbal Yellow Fever, Sickle Cell Medicine, Dr. Nafisa Herbal Medicine, Dynewell Syrup, and White Blinks.
Adeyeye reiterated that the agency’s priority is to protect Nigerians from harmful products. She warned that such substances pose “serious health risks, including skin cancer, kidney damage, 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,” it said.
“Foreign nationals and investors intending to import or market products in Nigeria are advised to visit NAFDAC offices nationwide for product registration and regulatory guidance.”