The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit and unwholesome products valued at ₦2.6 billion in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of a nationwide enforcement campaign targeting goods worth more than ₦5.3 billion within one week.
The destroyed items included pharmaceutical products, chemicals, tomato paste, biscuits and other goods deemed unsafe for consumption or use. The products were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Onne Port between 2025 and 2026.
The exercise was conducted on Friday at a dumpsite in Eneka, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, with officials of both agencies stressing the importance of joint efforts to prevent harmful products from entering the Nigerian market.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in Nigeria, Martins Iluyomade, who represented NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the operation reflected the agencies’ commitment to tackling the circulation of fake and substandard goods.
Iluyomade, who also serves as NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, explained that the destruction exercise was only the first phase, adding that additional seized products were expected to be evacuated from the port for disposal.
“What you see here right now, this is the flag-up; others are still coming out of the port,” he said.
He urged the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure that the remaining containers holding the seized goods were released for destruction, emphasising the need for sustained cooperation among government agencies involved in combating counterfeit products and other illegal activities.
Iluyomade also cautioned against rivalry among enforcement agencies, noting that effective collaboration was necessary to achieve their shared objectives.
The South-South Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Chukwuma Oligbu, represented by his deputy, Rita Chukwuma, said the exercise was part of the agency’s statutory responsibility to protect public health by eliminating fake, substandard and potentially dangerous products from circulation.
Similarly, Superintendent of Customs Elizabeth Abosede, who represented the Enforcement Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Area II Command, commended NAFDAC for its partnership in the fight against illicit goods.
The Port Harcourt exercise followed similar enforcement operations in Lagos and Aba, Abia State, where NAFDAC confiscated suspected counterfeit alcoholic beverages, packaging materials and other products worth billions of naira.
The agency has called on Nigerians to remain alert and report suspected cases of illegal manufacturing, repackaging and distribution of counterfeit products to the appropriate authorities.
