NAFDAC disowns viral ‘fake products’ list, warns Nigerians against misinformation
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disowned a viral list circulating on social media that purports to identify products in the Nigerian market as fake, adulterated or substandard.
The agency said the list did not originate from NAFDAC and should not be treated as an official regulatory alert, recall notice or safety communication.
In a statement, NAFDAC said it does not declare products fake or unsafe without following established regulatory processes, including investigation, sampling and, where necessary, scientific and laboratory analysis.
The agency said its regulatory communications are usually specific and verifiable, with details of the affected product or batch and the regulatory action taken where a product is found to be substandard, falsified, adulterated or otherwise unsafe.
“Members of the public are strongly advised to disregard the viral list in its entirety and to refrain from sharing or amplifying the unverified information,” the agency said.
NAFDAC said the distinction between allegations circulating on social media and official regulatory findings was important, noting that a product could not responsibly be declared fake or unsafe simply because its name or photograph appeared on a social media list.
The agency also warned that unverified claims could have consequences beyond consumer confusion, particularly for legitimate manufacturers, distributors and retailers whose products may be wrongly identified.
According to NAFDAC, accepting an unverified list as an official declaration could trigger unnecessary consumer panic, disrupt legitimate businesses, distort purchasing decisions and undermine confidence in properly regulated products.
The agency said it remained committed to protecting the health of Nigerians by ensuring that regulated products meet established standards of safety, quality and efficacy.
It added that it would continue to take enforcement action where investigations and scientific assessments establish that a product requires regulatory intervention.
NAFDAC urged consumers, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, distributors and other stakeholders to rely on its official communication channels for information on product alerts, recalls, withdrawals, suspensions and other regulatory actions.
The agency also encouraged Nigerians to continue reporting suspected counterfeit, adulterated or substandard products, describing such reports as valuable regulatory intelligence.
However, it said allegations must undergo proper investigation and scientific verification before definitive conclusions are reached.
“For the avoidance of doubt: the viral list did not emanate from NAFDAC,” the agency said, urging Nigerians not to circulate it as an official NAFDAC publication.
