The House of Representatives has called for a nationwide crackdown on illegal food factories and counterfeit drinks, warning that the production and sale of fake, adulterated and substandard consumables pose serious risks to public health.
The House made the call during plenary on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Abubakar Yalleman, representing Madori/Kaugama Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.
Moving the motion, Yalleman said access to safe, wholesome and quality food and beverages was essential to the health, well-being and productivity of Nigerians.
He expressed concern over recent incidents involving counterfeit alcoholic beverages and illegal food production facilities, citing the dismantling of alcohol counterfeiting syndicates at Zamfara Plaza, Lagos Island, by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on April 22, 2026.
He also cited the raid on an illegal, unregistered fruit juice factory by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Badagry, Lagos State, on September 22, 2026.
According to the lawmaker, unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors engage in counterfeiting established brands, altering product labels and expiry dates, using inferior or contaminated raw materials, and illegally reusing or refilling containers.
He warned that these practices exposed consumers to potentially life-threatening health conditions, including acute poisoning, cancer and damage to vital organs such as the kidneys, lungs, liver and heart.
Yalleman said the circulation of fake and substandard products extended beyond alcoholic beverages to non-alcoholic drinks, bottled water and other food products consumed daily by Nigerians.
He noted that NAFDAC was statutorily responsible for regulating food and other products under its mandate, while the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, played critical roles in enforcing standards and protecting consumers.
However, he said the continued circulation of products bearing misleading information on production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturers’ details and ingredients underscored the need for stronger enforcement.
The lawmaker called for improved coordination among regulatory agencies, more effective market surveillance, timely prosecution of offenders and increased public awareness to protect consumers.
He also warned that children, older persons and other vulnerable groups were particularly exposed to the dangers of consuming unsafe food and beverages.
Yalleman said the situation required stronger legislative and executive action despite the presence of NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, the police and NSCDC.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to treat the production and circulation of fake, adulterated, counterfeit and substandard food and beverages as a matter of urgent national importance.
It also called on NAFDAC, SON and FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, state governments and other relevant agencies, to intensify nationwide surveillance, inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement operations against offenders across the supply chain.
The House further mandated its relevant committees on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards and Consumer Protection to engage regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to assess the scale of the problem and the effectiveness of existing enforcement measures.
