NAFDAC: Regulator Disowns Fake Product List, Reports 7,210 Removals

No, Nigeria's food and drug regulator didn't release 'long list' of fake products IN SHORT : A list attributed to Nigeria's food and drug regulator names more than 100 products and categories of goods as counterfeit. But the agency has disowned the list and urged the public to disregard it. Public concerns about suspected fake and adulterated food and other consumer goods have intensified in Nigeria in late 2026. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn In September, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) said it removed 7,210 fake, substandard and other non-compliant products during nationwide inspections between May and July. Nafdac is a government agency that regulates food, medicines, cosmetics and chemicals in the country. Against this backdrop, several social media users posted a list of what they claimed to be "fake counterfeit products" and attributed it to the agency. The list includes brands of milk, soft drinks, rice, as well as medicines, cosmetics and personal care products. It also mentions broad categories, including palm oil, honey, fish, meat and poultry. One post, dated 7 October, reads : "NAFDAC has brought out long list of fake counterfeit products 🙆Go through the list carfullly, open your eyes and ask question(s) , anytime your buying a related goods." The same claim appeared here and here . But did Nafdac release the list? We checked. Africa Check searched the agency's website and found no alert matching the viral list. The latest alert on the site was issued in August 2026, The viral list labels broad food categories, including palm oil, honey, fish and meat, as fake without identifying specific products or batch numbers to help consumers identify them. This is uncharacteristic of an official recall alert from the agency. On 8 October, Nafdac spokesperson Olusayo Akintola said the agency did not publish the list and that it should not be treated as an official alert, recall or safety warning. "For the avoidance of doubt: the viral list did not emanate from NAFDAC. Members of the public are urged to disregard it in its entirety and not circulate it as an official NAFDAC publication," Akintola told the media. Nafdac also released a statement on its official X account , urging consumers to report suspected products through its official channels. According to the agency, it does not declare products counterfeit without investigation and scientific verification. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The list circulating on social media is fake and should be ignored. Such false warnings could stop people from buying genuine products and disrupt businesses. Consumers should check Nafdac's official alerts when in doubt. Read the original story , with links and other resources. Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our