The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to treat the proliferation of fake, adulterated and substandard drugs, food and beverages as a national emergency, warning that the menace poses serious threats to public health and consumer safety.
The lawmakers also directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to intensify nationwide surveillance and enforcement operations to rid the country of dangerous products.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Makki Yalleman, during plenary on Tuesday.
The House urged the agencies to collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, state governments and other relevant authorities to strengthen inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement against manufacturers and distributors involved in the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard products.
As part of efforts to address the problem, the lawmakers mandated the House Committees on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards and Consumer Protection to engage the relevant regulatory agencies and stakeholders to assess the scale of the menace and evaluate the effectiveness of existing enforcement mechanisms.
The committees are expected to report their findings to the House within four weeks to guide further legislative action.
They were also directed to periodically assess the progress made by the agencies in tackling the circulation of fake and unsafe food, drinks and drugs.
Presenting the motion, Yalleman stressed that access to safe and quality food and beverages was essential to the health, well-being and productivity of Nigerians.
He noted that compliance with standardised production processes and hygiene requirements was critical to preventing foodborne diseases caused by harmful bacteria, chemical residues, expired ingredients and other contaminants.
The lawmaker added that adherence to established standards would improve the competitiveness of Nigerian products in regional and international markets, reduce the rejection of exported goods and contribute to economic growth.
Yalleman, however, expressed concern over the growing cases of counterfeit and unregistered products, citing the dismantling of illegal alcohol counterfeiting syndicates at Zamfara Plaza on Lagos Island by NAFDAC on April 22, 2026, and the discovery of an illegal, unregistered fruit juice factory by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Badagry, Lagos State, on September 22, 2026.
According to him, the incidents underscore the scale of the challenge posed by the production and distribution of fake, adulterated and substandard food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, bottled water and other consumer goods.
He warned that the continued circulation of such products exposed Nigerians to potentially life-threatening health conditions.
The lawmaker also raised concerns over the activities of unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors who allegedly counterfeit established brands, manipulate product labels and expiry dates, use inferior or contaminated raw materials, and illegally reuse or refill containers.
He said such practices could expose consumers to acute poisoning, cancer and damage to vital organs, including the kidneys, liver, lungs and heart.
Yalleman further highlighted concerns over misleading product information, particularly on labels containing production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturers’ details and ingredient lists.
He maintained that although existing laws and regulations provided a framework for addressing unsafe and non-compliant products, stronger implementation, improved inter-agency coordination, effective market surveillance and increased public awareness were necessary to curb the menace.
The lawmaker expressed particular concern about the potential impact on children, older persons and other vulnerable members of society, who face heightened risks from unsafe food and beverages.
He argued that the presence of regulatory and law enforcement agencies had not eliminated the problem, stressing the need for stronger legislative and executive action.
The House consequently called for more coordinated surveillance, inspection and enforcement throughout the food and beverage supply chain, alongside the timely prosecution of offenders.
The motion was unanimously adopted and referred to the relevant committees for further legislative consideration
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