NAFDAC Closes Two Chinese Supermarkets, Eight Cosmetics Stores In Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down two Chinese supermarkets and eight cosmetics shops in Abuja for allegedly breaching Nigeria’s food and drug safety rules.

The supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi, were accused of selling imported food products labelled only in Chinese, a clear violation of NAFDAC’s requirement that all regulated items must carry English labels for Nigerian consumers.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Adegboyega Osiyemi, the enforcement followed credible complaints and surveillance by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in partnership with the Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines.

The raid was supervised by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Musa Embugushiki.

At one of the shops in Jabi, a foreign national reportedly tried to deny that the store was open, but investigators confirmed that unregistered items were being sold.

In a separate operation, eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market were sealed after officials discovered banned, expired, and unapproved products on display.

Many of these items were marketed as skin-lightening treatments, sexual performance enhancers, and body-enhancement supplements.

Some traders were also accused of posing as dermatologists and pharmacists to prescribe harmful substances to unsuspecting customers.

Products seized included Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement supplements, Curvy Weight Gain products, Skin Whitening Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, and other unapproved herbal mixtures. The confiscated items, valued at more than ₦170 million, were removed from the market.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the crackdown was aimed at protecting Nigerians from unsafe chemicals that could cause serious health problems such as kidney failure, skin cancer, memory loss, and irritability.

She advised consumers to buy only products registered with NAFDAC and urged foreign traders to comply with Nigerian laws before putting goods on the market.

“We welcome legitimate trade partnerships from both Nigerians and foreign nationals, but we will not compromise on public health. Any act of selling unregistered or toxic products shall be met with strict regulatory action,” Prof. Adeyeye said in a statement.

The agency also encouraged Nigerians to report suspicious outlets or products to its nearest office nationwide.

KanyiDaily recalls that the NAFDAC recently uncovered a massive stock of fake malaria medicines worth more than ₦1.2 billion in Lagos.