The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized harmful cosmetic products worth over ₦170 million in a fresh move to sanitise the Nigerian market.
A statement by the Agency on Friday said eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market, and two Chinese supermarkets were closed for selling banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines.
Some individuals at the outlets were also found posing as dermatologists and pharmacists to prescribe harmful products.
Among the confiscated items valued at over ₦170 million, were Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement products, Curvy Weight Gain supplements, Skin Whitening Vitamin Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, Maiz Zaki Syrup, Original Herbal Yellow Fever Medicine, Sickle Cell Medicine, Dr. Nafisa Herbal Medicine, Dynewell Syrup, and White Blinks, among others. These products are associated with serious health risks, including kidney damage, skin cancer, and neurological disorders.
On the other hand, the two Chinese supermarkets in Jabi District were put under lock and key for violating regulations on the sale, distribution, and labelling of regulated products.
Located at Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street, the foreign stores were shut down following consumer complaints and surveillance, which the Agency said confirmed the sale of unregistered food items labelled only in Chinese, in breach of NAFDAC’s labelling policy, which requires English translations for the Nigerian market.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health and warned that the sale of unregistered or toxic products will attract strict regulatory sanctions.
NAFDAC also advised foreign nationals and investors intending to market products in Nigeria to engage the Agency for proper registration and regulatory guidance.
