Reps tell FG to step up fight against fake food and drinks

The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to treat the production and circulation of fake and adulterated food and drinks as a matter of urgent national importance, warning that what Nigerians buy in shops and markets may not be what the label says.

The call came on Tuesday during plenary, after lawmakers adopted a motion of urgent public importance moved by Abubakar Yalleman, who represents Madori/Kaugama Federal Constituency in Jigawa State.

For the ordinary shopper, the concern is simple: a bottle of juice, a sachet of water or a carton of beer may carry a familiar brand name while being refilled, relabelled or brewed somewhere no regulator has approved.

What lawmakers are worried about

Yalleman told the House that safe food is tied to Nigerians' health and productivity, and that poor processing and hygiene open the door to foodborne illness from bacteria, chemical residues, expired ingredients and physical dirt.

He pointed to two recent cases in Lagos. On April 22, 2026, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) broke up illegal alcohol counterfeiting operations at Zamfara Plaza on Lagos Island. On September 22, 2026, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) raided an unregistered fruit juice factory in Badagry.

The lawmaker listed the tricks he said unscrupulous operators use: copying well-known brands, changing labels and expiry dates, buying cheap or contaminated raw materials, refilling containers illegally, and producing outside approved standards.

He warned that consumers could face acute poisoning, cancer and damage to organs such as the kidney, lung, liver and heart. Children and older people, he said, are most at risk.

Yalleman noted that NAFDAC regulates food and bottled water, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) handles consumer protection and product safety, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) enforces product standards. He said the three agencies are working but that misleading labels, batch numbers and ingredient lists still slip through.

"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," he said.

He also argued that clean, standard-compliant production would help Nigerian food businesses sell abroad, where rejected exports cost the country money.

What happens next

After adopting the motion, the House urged NAFDAC, SON and the FCCPC to work with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service and state governments on nationwide inspections, product sampling, laboratory tests and enforcement against manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers.

It also asked its committees on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards and Consumer Protection to look into how widespread the problem is and whether current enforcement is working. They are to report back within four weeks, after which the House may consider further legislative steps covering food, drinks and drugs.