Nigeria’s food safety watchdog, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has issued a fresh warning over the rising influx of smuggled and prohibited food items across markets nationwide. The alert, released in a statement signed by the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, expressed serious concern over the growing circulation of items that are banned from importation under the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List.
According to the agency, food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste—which legally should not enter the country—are now increasingly appearing on store shelves and open markets. NAFDAC stressed that these items did not undergo mandatory safety checks, meaning consumers are exposed to unknown health risks.
The agency emphasized that the smuggling and sale of prohibited food items not only undermine Nigeria’s trade laws and food control systems but also put the public at risk since the products bypass regulatory inspection, quality assurance, and standard certification.
NAFDAC therefore issued a strict directive to importers, supermarkets, wholesalers, and open market traders to immediately halt the importation, distribution, and sale of all items listed under the Customs Prohibition List. The agency warned that defaulters will face tough sanctions, including seizure and destruction of goods, licence suspension or revocation, and prosecution under national laws.
The statement also called for stronger collaboration between government agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration Service, Shippers Council, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, NIMASA, Ports Authority, and the Agricultural Quarantine Service to clamp down on the circulation of these products.
NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health, urging all stakeholders in the food supply chain to comply fully with regulations and to immediately notify partners and distributors to discontinue any dealings involving prohibited items.
For further inquiries, the agency directed stakeholders to contact the Post-Marketing Surveillance Division via pms@nafdac.gov.ng.