The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to sanitising the Nigerian market and preventing uncertified products from reaching consumers following the seizure of smuggled vegetable oil and banned imported soaps valued at over N500 million along the country’s border corridors.
The agency’s Director of Investigation and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Counterfeit Products, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, made this known on Friday during an inspection of the confiscated products.
Iluyomade warned smugglers and importers of prohibited goods to desist from illegal activities, stressing that NAFDAC had intensified surveillance across border routes and would continue to track and intercept uncertified and banned products.
“It will no longer be business as usual. Many of these products do not pass through NAFDAC certification, meaning we cannot guarantee their safety or quality. Nigerians should patronise locally manufactured products that have been certified and approved,” he said.
According to him, five suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures. He disclosed that most of the suspects are Ghanaian nationals apprehended after the products entered Nigeria through routes believed to be within the Seme border axis.
Iluyomade also noted growing compliance with NAFDAC’s directive requiring dedicated and properly marked trucks for transporting edible oils, but warned that enforcement would be strengthened against violators.
“We have observed increased compliance among transporters of edible oils. However, any truck found violating the directive will be impounded,” he stated.
Providing details of the operation, Iluyomade revealed that NAFDAC officials trailed the suspected vehicles late into the night before intercepting them.
“Last night, we trailed these trailers until about 10 p.m. We discovered that they were coming from Ghana and had covered their number plates to conceal their identity. They claimed to be carrying vegetable oil, but importation of vegetable oil through land borders is prohibited, which raised our suspicion,” he explained.
The NAFDAC official disclosed that each of the impounded tankers was carrying approximately 66,000 litres of vegetable oil and had been moved to the agency’s facility for further investigation to determine the exact contents of the consignments.
In addition to the vegetable oil, the agency confiscated a truckload containing more than 4,000 cartons of imported soaps, products that are prohibited from entering Nigeria through land borders.
“The total value of the soaps alone is over N500 million. The vegetable oil tankers are carrying approximately 66,000 litres each, and their combined value runs into several hundreds of millions of naira,” Iluyomade said.
He reiterated NAFDAC’s determination to sustain its enforcement drive to protect public health, combat smuggling and ensure that only certified and safe products are available in the Nigerian market.
