NAFDAC Seals Shops Over Unregistered Cosmetics

By Sherif Salau

Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control have sealed several shops and business premises at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos State, following the discovery of suspected unregistered cosmetic products.

The operation targeted traders believed to be dealing in beauty and personal-care items that had not undergone the agency’s mandatory registration and safety checks. NAFDAC officers moved through sections of the sprawling market, locking premises and taking inventory of products that raised regulatory concerns.

The action forms part of the agency’s ongoing effort to curb the circulation of unapproved cosmetics, a problem that has long worried health authorities. Unregistered or counterfeit beauty products often contain harmful substances such as high levels of mercury, hydroquinone, lead and other toxic chemicals. These ingredients, when used repeatedly, can cause severe skin damage, permanent discoloration, hormonal disruption, kidney problems and, in extreme cases, life-threatening complications.

Consumers, particularly young people seeking affordable skin-lightening creams, lotions, soaps and makeup, are most at risk. Many of these products are sold cheaply and attractively packaged, giving little indication of the dangers they may pose. Because they bypass official testing, there is no reliable way for buyers to know what they are applying to their skin or how the formulations may react over time.

Market operators and public-health advocates have repeatedly warned that the Trade Fair Complex and similar large trading hubs remain hotspots for the distribution of substandard goods. NAFDAC’s intervention is intended to disrupt that supply chain and send a clear signal that the sale of unregistered cosmetics will not be tolerated.