Food Safety Experts Raise Alarm Over Adulteration in Nigeria
Food safety experts and regulators have raised concerns over the growing risk of food adulteration in Nigeria, warning that weak enforcement and poor supply chain monitoring are exposing consumers to unsafe products.
The concerns were raised during the fourth Lagos State Food Safety 2026 Conference and Exhibition, held at NECA House, Ikeja, on Tuesday, where stakeholders called for stronger laboratory capacity, better traceability and improved enforcement.
The Chief Executive of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, Afolabi Solebo, described food safety in Lagos as an issue of public welfare and economic stability rather than routine administration.
Keynote speaker, Dr Adeniyi Odugbemi of Food Update Konsult, said food-borne illnesses account for more than 53,000 deaths and 50 million cases of disease in Nigeria annually.
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He also said informal markets remained particularly vulnerable, with up to 70 per cent of urban residents buying food daily from markets without formal regulatory oversight or adequate cold-chain infrastructure.
During the technical sessions, Dr Nurah Oseni raised concerns over the adulteration of palm oil, saying chemical dyes were routinely added to substandard oil to make it appear to be of better quality.
Oseni estimated that as many as seven in 10 market samples could be compromised and called for greater investment in laboratory infrastructure and staff training.
She also advocated the use of internationally recognised testing methods, including the Malaysian BOB and AIB protocols, as well as mandatory batch-tracing systems to help identify producers responsible for adulterated products.
The Chief Executive of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Tunji Bello, urged state regulators, civil society organisations and market associations to work together, noting that government agencies could not inspect every commercial transaction.
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Bello called on businesses to uphold consumer rights by providing clear labels, accurate expiry dates and transparent information on ingredients, warning that operators who deliberately compromise safety to reduce costs would face sanctions.
Meanwhile, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it received 225 complaints about suspected counterfeit products in August.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency receives more than 200 complaints from Nigerians every month through its official channels, with the reports serving as leads for investigations.
Adeyeye urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through NAFDAC’s complaint channels rather than relying solely on social media.
She said the agency was aware of concerns over suspected adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe products, including yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water and beverages.
The NAFDAC chief, however, cautioned that social media allegations alone could not establish that a product was counterfeit or unsafe, stressing that scientific testing and regulatory investigations were necessary to verify such claims.
