Lagos Consumers Raises Concerns As NAFDAC Uncovers Banned Alcohol, Suspected Fake Products
By Sherif Salau
Lagos consumers have expressed deep concern regarding the safety of food and alcoholic beverages following the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) crackdown at Oke-Arin Market, which uncovered banned drinks and suspected counterfeit products.
According to the agency, the Investigation and Enforcement team found the prohibited items concealed in some shops. The alcoholic drinks were packaged below the 200-millilitre limit that NAFDAC banned because of their association with widespread abuse, particularly among young people. Unregistered food items and other suspected fake alcoholic beverages were also uncovered. All the identified products were evacuated from the market.
The Oke-Arin raid forms part of a sustained crackdown across Lagos markets and commercial complexes. In recent weeks, similar operations have uncovered large quantities of banned small-volume alcohol and elaborate counterfeit production setups, including a major seizure valued at more than N2 billion at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
Speaking during related enforcement activities in Lagos, Assistant Director of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Kunle Ojo, underscored the public-health stakes. “We are here to safeguard the health of the nation,” he said, urging residents to report suspicious manufacturing, storage or sales activities in their neighbourhoods. Officials have consistently warned that expired or adulterated drinks being revalidated and returned to the market pose serious risks to consumers.
NAFDAC has long maintained that the ban on sachets and bottles below 200ml was introduced after research showed the products’ affordability, availability and portability made them especially attractive to underage users and contributed to addiction and organ damage. The agency continues to call on the public to buy only from reputable sources and to use its official complaints line to report suspicious products.
For everyday consumers in Lagos, the successive raids serve as a practical reminder. A low-priced bottle or sachet on a market stall may not be what it appears. As enforcement teams keep moving through major trading centres, the message from NAFDAC remains consistent: product safety is non-negotiable, and vigilance from both regulators and the public is required to keep dangerous goods out of circulation.
