By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified that it does not have direct and absolute regulatory oversight over unbranded palm oil, fufu and other traditionally packaged staple foods sold in open markets.
This was disclosed on the official X account of NAFDAC on Monday, 7 September, 2026 following a briefing by the Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who addressed journalists on the agency’s efforts to combat suspected counterfeit, adulterated and unsafe products across Nigeria.
Adeyeye explained that the agency’s food regulatory mandate mainly covers processed and packaged products, listing its core responsibilities to include inspection, sampling, laboratory testing, compliance monitoring, post-market surveillance, complaint investigation, product verification, recalls and enforcement.
On the scale of public complaints received, Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC received 225 complaints about suspected counterfeit products in August alone, part of the over 200 complaints the agency receives from Nigerians every month through its various reporting channels.
“We received over 200 complaints from Nigerians monthly; in August we received 225 calls through NAFDAC complaint channel,” she said.
She urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through NAFDAC’s official complaint channels instead of relying solely on social media, stressing that counterfeiters operate within communities and business premises rather than in hiding.
“Counterfeiters are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighbourhoods, and business premises,” she said.
Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC’s 24-hour call centre and other reporting channels allow the agency to assess complaints and determine whether further investigation is necessary.
On growing public concern over suspected adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe products, including yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water and beverages, she stressed that social media claims alone cannot establish that a product is unsafe or counterfeit.
“The strength of the publication could have been enhanced by a proper scientific evaluation rather than relying primarily on emotionally driven and perhaps commercially motivated social media narratives,” she said.
