Reps move to curb sale of fake, substandard food, drinks

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to tackle the production, distribution and sale of fake, adulterated and substandard food and beverages in Nigeria, warning that the growing menace poses serious risks to public health.

The House made the call during plenary on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Madori/Kaugama Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, Abubakar Yalleman.

Moving the motion, Yalleman said access to safe, wholesome and quality food and beverages was essential to the health, well-being and productivity of Nigerians.

He explained that standardised processing methods and proper hygiene practices were necessary to prevent foodborne illnesses caused by harmful bacteria, chemical residues, expired ingredients and physical contaminants.

He added that compliance with food safety standards would also improve the competitiveness of Nigerian food businesses in regional and international markets by reducing the rejection of exported products and boosting economic growth.

However, the lawmaker expressed concern over recent incidents involving the production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages and the operation of illegal food and drink factories.

He cited the dismantling of illegal alcohol counterfeiting syndicates at Zamfara Plaza on Lagos Island by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on April 22, 2026, as well as the raid on an illegal, unregistered fruit juice factory by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Badagry, Lagos State, on September 22, 2026.

According to him, the incidents “comprises the growing production, distribution and sales of fake, adulterated, unregistered and substandard food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, beverages, bottled water and other products consumed daily by communities in Nigeria thereby putting Nigerians at risk of developing serious health issues.”

Yalleman said some unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors counterfeit established brands, alter product labels and expiry dates, use inferior or contaminated raw materials, illegally reuse or refill containers, and manufacture food and beverages outside approved regulatory standards.

He warned that such practices could expose consumers to life-threatening health conditions, including acute poisoning, cancer and damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, lungs, liver and heart.

“The House is concerned that some unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors engage in practices such as counterfeiting established brands, altering labels and expiry dates, using inferior or contaminated raw materials, illegally reusing or refilling containers, and producing food and beverages outside approved regulatory standards thereby posing severe life-threatening public health risks, including acute poisoning, cancer and damages to vital organs like kidney, lung, liver, heart etc,” he said.

The lawmaker noted that NAFDAC was statutorily responsible for regulating food, bottled water and other products under its mandate, while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was responsible for consumer protection and product safety. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) also plays a key role in ensuring that products meet applicable standards.

He acknowledged the efforts of the three agencies but said concerns persisted over the circulation of products bearing misleading or deceptive information, particularly regarding production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturers’ details and ingredients.

The All Progressives Congress lawmaker said existing laws and regulations provided a basis for dealing with unsafe products, but called for stronger enforcement, improved coordination among regulatory agencies, better market surveillance and greater public awareness.

He warned that the circulation of fake and substandard food and drinks posed particular risks to children, older people and other vulnerable groups, potentially contributing to foodborne illnesses, poisoning and other preventable health problems.

“The House is disturbed that with the presence of NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, the Police, NSCDC, the increasing circulation of fake and substandard food and drinks is a very disturbing development which calls for more legislative and executive actions,” he said.

“We recognise the need for more effective, efficient and better-coordinated result oriented surveillance, inspection, enforcement and timely prosecution throughout the food and beverage supply chain to rid the country of counterfeit and sub-standard products.”

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to treat the production and circulation of fake, adulterated, counterfeit and substandard food and beverages as a matter of urgent national importance requiring sustained regulatory attention.

It also called on NAFDAC, SON and FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, state governments and other relevant agencies, to intensify nationwide surveillance, inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement operations against manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers involved in the production or sale of such products.

The House further mandated its relevant committees, particularly those on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards and Consumer Protection, to engage the regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to assess the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of existing enforcement measures.

The committees are to report their findings to the House within four weeks for further legislative action, including measures to address the circulation of fake, counterfeit and substandard food, drinks and drugs.