The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) are facing renewed scrutiny as Nigerians flood social media with reports of suspected counterfeit, fake and substandard products.
The online campaign has highlighted alleged fake food, drugs, toothpaste, beverages, cosmetics and other consumer goods, raising fresh questions about how such products continue to reach Nigerian markets despite the statutory responsibilities of regulatory agencies.
Some of the claims circulating online have not been independently verified. However, the growing volume of reports has heightened consumer fears and renewed calls for stronger surveillance, enforcement and prosecution.
Fake toothpaste, yoghurt, drugs spark concern
The campaign gained momentum following the death of veteran Nollywood actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, who died on August 23 after battling stage-four cancer. However, there is no evidence presented in the reports reviewed that links his death to counterfeit products.
Meanwhile, reports of sudden deaths and health problems have fuelled wider conversations about the safety of products Nigerians consume and use daily.
Over the past few months, Nigerians on X, TikTok and Instagram have shared videos comparing suspected counterfeit products with genuine ones.
The clips feature side-by-side comparisons, market investigations and tips on how consumers can identify possible fakes.
Doctors, content creators, ordinary consumers and regulatory voices have also amplified some of the posts, turning individual discoveries into viral public-service warnings.
One of the most prominent examples involves suspected fake Oral-B toothpaste.
In September, Nigerian doctor Somto Okonkwo shared a comparison video showing genuine and suspected counterfeit Oral-B tubes side by side.
The video highlighted differences in packaging, seals, texture, translucency and taste and was subsequently shared widely.
Okonkwo demonstrated what he described as differences between the products, including seals he said were absent on original tubes, thicker and less translucent paste and a less minty flavour.
UK-based Nigerian physician Dr Olufunmilayo Ogunsanya later amplified the video.
Okonkwo also recounted visiting five to seven shops where he said every outlet stocked counterfeit Oral-B toothpaste, with some sellers allegedly unaware that the products were fake.
He explained that genuine products typically use safe glycerine, while some counterfeit products may substitute it with the toxic chemical diethylene glycol.
Other toothpaste-related alerts also circulated during the period.
Fake food products have similarly featured in online awareness campaigns.
Videos circulating in early September showed what users described as counterfeit Hollandia yoghurt being packaged in unsanitary conditions.
Accounts including @_InsideNigeria and @KosoNwa1 shared the footage, questioning NAFDAC’s response and urging consumers to remain vigilant.
Earlier videos by consumers also compared genuine and suspected fake yoghurt by pouring the products into clear cups to examine differences in thickness, creaminess and barcodes.
On September 4, Ogunsanya raised another alarm after sharing photographs of two paracetamol tablets allegedly produced by the same company but showing visibly different colours.
He said consumers might only notice such discrepancies through direct comparison, warning that “one is fake, or both are fake” and that Nigerians depend on such medicines when they fall ill.
He blamed NAFDAC for failing in its duties, stating that the agency “has killed thousands of people by failing to do their job.”
Other social media users have reported suspected fake products ranging from dyed palm oil and painted apples to fake soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, bottled water, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and Hollandia products.
One user said he realised he had been using suspected fake Oral-B after seeing the online warnings.
Others tagged NAFDAC and demanded action against alleged producers and distributors of fake drinks, alcohol and medicines.
An X user, Oluwole Olofintuyi, @OluOlofin1, alleged that the scale of counterfeit products suggested possible compromise within the regulatory system.
“Wherever you go: fake milk, fake yoghurt, fake bread, fake palm oil, fake/plastic rice, fake medicines, fake toothpaste, fake baby formulas, fake beverages, fake toothbrushes, fake bottled and sachet water, fake vehicle parts, fake tyres,” he wrote.
Olofintuyi further alleged that some regulatory officials, distributors and importers could be complicit in the circulation of counterfeit products, accusing NAFDAC and SON of failing Nigerians.
Similarly, Chinedu Samuel, @Chimextech, questioned NAFDAC’s effectiveness, saying counterfeit products posed both economic and health risks.
“Where is NAFDAC in all of this? What they are concerned about is sachet alcohol, no focus. That’s the result of nepotistic appointments,” he wrote.
One Uche Samuel said reports about fake toothpaste had increased concerns over the safety of everyday consumer products.
Another user, Mac Araga, alleged that regulatory agencies had become more focused on revenue generation than their core responsibilities.
“We blame only NAFDAC, what is SON doing? What about CPC? Let them collaborate, even with NDLEA and the police. They should declare a state of emergency on fake drugs,” Abou Opeyemi wrote.
Others called for stronger surveillance at ports, warehouses, markets and online platforms, alongside tougher prosecution of manufacturers, importers and distributors of counterfeit products.
NAFDAC seizes fake drugs worth billions
The concerns come against the backdrop of several enforcement operations by NAFDAC.
In February 2026, the agency said it seized more than 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medicines and cosmetic products valued at about ₦3bn at Lagos’ Trade Fair Market.
The seized products included anti-malaria medicines, cerebral malaria injections, antibiotics, Postinor and Analgin products. NAFDAC said the items were stored in a three-storey building disguised as a spare-parts warehouse. Four people were arrested during the operation.
The agency also said the products, if they had reached consumers, could have endangered millions of Nigerians.
NAFDAC has previously disclosed that counterfeit and substandard medicines remain a significant challenge in Nigeria.
Counterfeits pose health risks – doctors
The Director of Medical Services at the Medical Centre of the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, said counterfeit drugs, foods and drinks could contain contaminants capable of damaging vital organs, particularly the liver and kidneys.
He said, “Some of the health hazards, such as liver failure, kidney failure, heart problems and even infertility and low sperm count, that are endemic in our society now are as a result of the usage of counterfeit products because of the chemicals in them.”
Adesanya linked the widespread circulation of counterfeit products partly to poverty, saying economic hardship pushes some Nigerians towards cheaper alternatives.
He also explained the difference between an expiry date and a “best before” date, noting that expired medicines may lose potency and fail to perform their intended function.
He urged NAFDAC to intensify routine checks and surveillance, particularly on products displayed on shop shelves.
“As a result of counterfeiting that is happening in the public, including local products like palm oil, the chemicals used for them are destroying organs. Some of them cause renal failure, which is shutting down the kidneys. They can shut down the liver, and that’s why NAFDAC has to be on top of its game.
“NAFDAC should do routine checks and analyses of these products, which they normally do in their industry. They must go on surveillance from time to time. They must check all the products on the shelves randomly. They must continue to see if they have expired or are still effective.
“Also, counterfeiting usually happens with expensive products because they are not affordable to people. The public should look for products from different brands,” Adesanya said.
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State, Dr Saheed Babajide, attributed the proliferation of counterfeit drugs to poor enforcement by government agencies.
He said, “It is unfortunate that governments have allowed this issue to go on for a very long time. You will recall that NAFDAC recently went to Idumota in Lagos and Aba in Abia State to close some shops. Despite that, it still continues because there is no regulatory body whatsoever and the law enforcement agencies are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
Babajide said fake and substandard medicines could cause serious health problems, including renal damage, kidney and heart complications and mental health challenges.
He also warned that ineffective medicines could increase pressure on Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system.
“The use of ineffective or partially effective antimalarial drugs, for instance, can prolong illness and increase the likelihood of hospital admission. This ultimately places an additional financial burden on patients, who may end up spending more on treatment than they would have if they had initially obtained effective medicines. The problem is largely driven by greed and the quest for financial gain by unscrupulous individuals,” Babajide added.
He called on lawmakers to introduce tougher penalties for anyone found culpable of circulating fake drugs.
“What the government should do is to ensure the relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies like NAFDAC and SON carry out their duties. There should be no bail and fine because anybody can be a victim of these counterfeit drugs. This should be treated as a matter of urgency,” he added.
Calls grow to overhaul NAFDAC, SON
A Lagos-based commentator, Segun Odunewu, called for an overhaul of NAFDAC, alleging that the agency had failed to adequately protect Nigerians from dangerous counterfeit products.
“We have not had it this bad until inefficiency crept into NAFDAC. The agency needs a complete overhaul for effectiveness. If not, we will all die of cancer and kidney disease.
“NAFDAC is not the NAFDAC of Dora Akunyili’s era. Her efforts are being wasted,” Odunewu said.
He also called for greater accountability from the agency’s leadership.
“The NAFDAC Director-General should resign. NAFDAC is now becoming a money-generating agency while neglecting its primary responsibility,” Odunewu alleged.
However, public affairs analyst Adebayo Abubakar said scrapping NAFDAC or SON would not solve the problem.
According to him, the agencies were established to protect consumers and enforce standards, meaning the priority should be to strengthen their capacity and hold them accountable.
“We have NAFDAC to protect us from fake and dangerous food, drugs and other regulated products, and SON to enforce standards and protect consumers from substandard and counterfeit goods.
“These are not ornamental agencies; the law gives them precisely the powers required to police the marketplace,” Abubakar said.
He nevertheless expressed concern over the continued presence of counterfeit products in markets across the country.
“Walk through Nigerian markets and the uncomfortable truth stares you in the face: counterfeit medicines, adulterated foods, fake electrical products, substandard building materials and imitation consumer goods are everywhere.
“NAFDAC itself has identified counterfeit and falsified products as a continuing problem, while the National Assembly has had to call on NAFDAC and SON to intensify surveillance and enforcement,” Abubakar said.
Another public affairs analyst, Musa Aliyu, called for a review of the National Policy on the Contamination of Drugs and Unwholesome Practices of Pharmaceuticals.
He argued that the problem extended beyond medicines and required stronger cooperation between government agencies and communities.
“The National Policy on the Contamination of Drugs and Unwholesome Practices of Pharmaceuticals is quite overdue for review because the issue extends beyond that.
“What we need is partnership in ensuring that communities are aware of the effects of contamination of drugs and unwholesome practices, and that people take the issue of drugs seriously because it is a very big challenge in Nigeria,” Aliyu said.
He called for NAFDAC operations to be decentralised to improve monitoring and enforcement across the country.
Lawyers demand tougher sanctions
Lagos-based dispute resolution lawyer Muhammed Adam called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on fake and substandard products.
He described the proliferation of counterfeit goods as organised economic and public-health sabotage requiring urgent action.
“A group of greedy, organised criminals cannot keep poisoning this country while they smile to the bank. What is happening in our markets is not petty trading. It is organised economic and public-health sabotage.
“It should be treated with the seriousness we reserve for terrorism because the outcome is the same: Nigerians are being killed slowly, quietly and profitably,” Adam said.
He said the problem was particularly disturbing because commonly counterfeited products include items Nigerians rely on for their health and daily wellbeing.
“That means the things we put on our skin, put in our children’s mouths and swallow when we are sick are among the products being most heavily faked,” he said.
Adam cited seizures by the Nigeria Customs Service involving expired medicines and products bearing allegedly fake NAFDAC labels.
He also referred to the interception of fake anti-malaria drugs worth N1.2bn allegedly concealed under a declaration of “spare parts”.
According to him, counterfeiters are increasingly exploiting online transactions and groupage cargo to evade detection.
“People die from malaria that the ‘treatment’ never treated, from antibiotics that never fought infection, from cosmetics loaded with mercury and steroids, and from electrical and auto parts that fail when lives depend on them,” he said.
Adam said the consequences extended beyond deaths and injuries to public confidence in the Nigerian market.
“When citizens cannot trust medicine, food or water, the social contract itself is damaged,” he said.
He argued that seizures would have limited impact unless those behind counterfeit products were consistently prosecuted and convicted.
Another lawyer, Ibrahim Adebayo, accused regulatory agencies, particularly NAFDAC, of failing to sustain the aggressive campaign against counterfeit products seen under previous administrations.
Adebayo recalled a period when NAFDAC embarked on what he described as a “total war” against counterfeiters, with warehouses raided, fake products seized and suspects arrested and prosecuted.
He alleged that the agency had become less effective in recent years.
“What we have now is an alleged collusion between some NAFDAC officials and these criminals. They only issue directives, bark sometimes, and nothing is done afterwards,” Adebayo alleged.
He said the Federal Government should demand greater accountability from regulatory agencies, particularly given the public resources allocated to them.
“This is an agency that receives billions of naira yearly through the Federal budget. Nigerians deserve to see the impact of that funding in terms of enforcement, prosecution and the protection of public health,” he said.
Adebayo called for stronger coordination among NAFDAC, SON, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and security agencies.
He also urged authorities to strengthen surveillance at ports, warehouses, markets and online marketplaces, while improving intelligence-sharing between agencies.
NAFDAC silent, SON refers matter back
When contacted, NAFDAC’s Head of Enforcement, Dr Martin Iluyomade, declined to comment.
Calls placed to his mobile phones were neither answered nor returned, while WhatsApp messages seeking his response were not acknowledged as of press time.
Efforts to obtain SON’s reaction were also unsuccessful.
A highly placed source in the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, referred reporters to NAFDAC, saying regulation and circulation of fake, substandard and falsified medicines fell within the agency’s purview.
The source said, “Please note that matters relating to the regulation and circulation of fake, substandard and falsified medicines fall under the purview of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. We would therefore advise that you direct your inquiry to NAFDAC for the appropriate response.
“For further communication or inquiries relating to the mandate and activities of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, kindly address your correspondence to the Director-General/Chief Executive in writing.”
