Lagos Consumers On Alert As NAFDAC Uncovers Suspected Fake Drug Packaging Warehouse At Trade Fair
By Sherif Salau
Lagos consumers have been urged to remain vigilant as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) uncovers a suspected counterfeit drug packaging warehouse at the Trade Fair Complex, raising fresh concerns over the safety, authenticity and circulation of medicines in the state.
The agency confirmed today that its Investigation and Enforcement team carried out the raid, releasing a statement accompanied by video footage of the operation. “An enforcement operation has uncovered unlabelled and unregistered cosmetics and packaging materials at the Tools and Hardware Complex, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos,” NAFDAC said.
The find is the latest in a series of interventions at the sprawling commercial hub along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Ojo. Only months earlier, the agency seized banned and unregistered cosmetics valued at more than ₦3 billion from warehouses within the same complex. Officials have repeatedly linked such facilities to the wider risk of counterfeit and substandard products, including those that could be packaged as medicines or personal-care items without proper regulatory oversight.
NAFDAC has long warned that unregistered cosmetics and similar products can contain harmful chemicals capable of causing skin damage and other health complications. The volume of packaging materials recovered this time has reinforced concerns that the materials could be diverted into the production or distribution of unsafe goods.
Assistant Director of the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Kunle Ojo, who has led several similar operations in the area, has previously described these discoveries as alarming and stressed the need for public vigilance. “We are here to safeguard the health of the nation,” he has said in recent enforcement actions, urging citizens to report any suspicious manufacturing or packaging activity in their communities.
The Trade Fair Complex has become a recurring focus of NAFDAC’s work. Earlier this year the agency dismantled networks involved in the revalidation of expired drinks and the packaging of counterfeit alcoholic beverages. Market authorities have publicly supported the crackdowns and condemned the use of the facility for illegal activities.
For ordinary Lagos residents who shop at the complex, the repeated seizures serve as a reminder to scrutinise labels carefully, check for valid NAFDAC registration numbers, and avoid products sold without clear branding or documentation. The agency continues to appeal to the public to report suspicious products or activities through its official channels.
