The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit, adulterated, expired and banned products valued at over ₦8 billion confiscated across the North-Central region.
The destruction exercise took place in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Thursday, where NAFDAC said a significant portion of the seized items consisted of banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers smaller than 200ml.
Speaking at the event, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Deputy Director Joseph Edor, said the products were recovered from manufacturing facilities, markets, shops and motor parks throughout the region.
Adeyeye explained that the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and small glass bottles was introduced to curb rising abuse, particularly among young people and schoolchildren. According to her, the products are easily misused because they are cheap, portable and widely available.
She warned that early exposure to alcohol can have serious health consequences, including damage to the brain, liver and kidneys, as well as poor academic performance, reduced productivity and other health complications.
“The affordability, accessibility and portability of these products make them attractive to young people, increasing the risk of abuse and addiction,” she said.
The NAFDAC boss noted that the enforcement operations were driven by concerns over alcohol abuse and its harmful effects on public health.
She added that the agency also confiscated expired, counterfeit and substandard food products, medicines and cosmetics during its regulatory activities.
“It is in the course of carrying out these activities that this heap of unwholesome, banned, fake and adulterated products worth about eight billion naira was confiscated from manufacturing outfits, sales outlets, markets and motor parks,” she said.
Adeyeye commended law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders for supporting NAFDAC through intelligence sharing and security assistance during enforcement operations.
Also speaking, Nasarawa State NAFDAC Coordinator, Dr Gyani Stephen, said the destruction exercise was aimed at safeguarding public health and preventing harmful products from reaching consumers.
He warned traders and distributors involved in the sale of counterfeit, expired or banned products to desist from such activities or face sanctions under the law.
In a goodwill message, the Nasarawa State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Daniel Saidu, represented by Yakubu Awoh, praised NAFDAC’s efforts to rid the market of fake and expired medicines.
He cautioned that the circulation of such products poses a serious threat to public health and could have devastating consequences for millions of Nigerians
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