The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has closed down two Chinese supermarkets in the Jabi District of Abuja.
The agency also shut down eight cosmetics shops at Wuse Market for violating regulations governing the sale, distribution, and labelling of products in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday by its Deputy Director of Public Relations, Adegboyega Osiyemi, NAFDAC said the operation followed a directive from its Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
It stated that the enforcement team confiscated and evacuated unwholesome products valued at over ₦170 million.
NAFDAC further explained that the supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street, were sealed after credible consumer complaints and surveillance revealed they were selling unregistered food items labelled exclusively in Chinese, contrary to Nigeria’s labelling policy, which requires English translations.
Despite initial denials, NAFDAC’s spokesperson said officials confirmed that one of the outlets was fully operational and stocked with unregistered goods.
Similarly, eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market were sealed for selling banned, expired, and unregistered products, including aphrodisiacs and aesthetic medicines.
Investigations showed that some traders had been illegally posing as dermatologists and pharmacists, prescribing harmful products to unsuspecting customers under the guise of skin whitening, body enhancement, and sexual performance.
Among the confiscated items were skin whitening gummies, aphrodisiac capsules, collagen products, herbal medicines, and other unregistered cosmetics linked to severe health risks such as kidney damage, memory loss, and skin cancer.
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting Nigerians’ health from harmful substances and urged consumers to patronise only products duly registered by the agency.
She also advised foreign nationals and investors intending to market products in Nigeria to seek proper registration and regulatory guidance from NAFDAC offices nationwide.
