ABUJA — Nigerians have taken to social media to question the scope of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) after the agency said unbranded palm oil and fufu are outside its direct regulatory oversight.
The debate followed comments by NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who disclosed that the agency received 225 complaints about suspected counterfeit products in August.
Adeyeye made the disclosure on Monday while briefing journalists on the agency’s efforts to combat suspected counterfeit, adulterated and unsafe products in circulation across the country.
According to her, NAFDAC receives more than 200 complaints from Nigerians every month through its complaint channels, with the reports providing important leads for investigation.
“We received over 200 complaints from Nigerians monthly; in August we received 225 calls through NAFDAC complaint channel,” Adeyeye was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as saying.
She urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through NAFDAC’s official complaint channels instead of relying solely on social media to draw attention to unsafe or fake products.
“Counterfeiters are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighbourhoods, and business premises,” she said.
However, the agency’s explanation regarding products such as unbranded palm oil and fufu has triggered a wave of reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning why commonly consumed food items should fall outside NAFDAC’s direct oversight.
One social-media user asked: “Is palm oil not food? Or is it cassava that’s not?”
Another wrote: “So fufu should have NAFDAC number? My country!”
Some Nigerians expressed concern over the potential health implications of unsafe food products, calling for stronger monitoring mechanisms at the grassroots level.
“NAFDAC should be more proactive about food items. NAFDAC should have an office in every state capital to monitor what people consume. Let there be routine check-ins in our marketplaces to take samples and ensure the safe consumption of food items,” one commenter said.
Another suggested collaboration between NAFDAC and local government environmental health officers to improve food-safety monitoring at the community level.
“How is it outside your oversight? Can’t you collaborate with environmental officers at local government level and train them on how to inspect or carry out such very important role at grassroots level?” the commenter asked.
There were also calls for the agency to expand its regulatory framework.
“NAFDAC should update their rules to include it in their oversight,” another user wrote.
Some commenters, however, argued that the problem goes beyond the agency’s statutory responsibilities, suggesting that local authorities should play a greater role in monitoring unbranded and locally produced food products.
“Agreed! Local authorities should be in charge of all those and report to the higher authority if getting out of hand. I will blame local government healthcare system for this,” one commenter said.
Others used the opportunity to question NAFDAC’s effectiveness in tackling counterfeit and adulterated products generally.
“I think NAFDAC is only made for issuing registration numbers and not monitoring,” another user wrote.
Another commenter said: “I think you people make a rightful decision, but make sure the agency workers are not corrupt.”
The reactions also extended to other commonly consumed products, with Nigerians asking why fake toothpaste, canned tomatoes, biscuits, fruit drinks and other food and household items continue to circulate.
“What about fake toothpaste, tin tomatoes, biscuit, juice and many more?” one commenter asked.
Some users expressed nostalgia for the era of former NAFDAC director-general, the late Professor Dora Akunyili, who was widely praised for her aggressive campaign against counterfeit and substandard products.
“I miss Prof Dora Akunyili. May God bless her soul. That woman made us stop buying salt they pour openly in big basins,” one commenter wrote.
There were also sarcastic reactions to the agency’s statement.
“Outside their oversight? So you don’t have undercover investigators and field agents? Hehehe,” another user wrote.
Another commenter said: “Even the one under your oversight you cannot do anything about it.”
Some Nigerians called for the creation of a dedicated food-safety agency, arguing that the scale of food-safety concerns requires specialised attention.
“That is why we need a food safety agency to tackle food safety crises,” one commenter said.
A particularly detailed reaction called for the establishment of market-monitoring committees at state and local government levels, as well as the development of technology capable of detecting adulterated palm oil and fufu.
The commenter argued that stronger grassroots surveillance, routine sampling and collaboration with Nigerian engineers could help identify unsafe food products before they reach consumers.
The controversy has consequently reignited debate over food safety in Nigeria, the regulatory responsibilities of NAFDAC and other government agencies, and the need for stronger monitoring of food products sold in local markets.
While NAFDAC has urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through its official channels, many online users are demanding more proactive inspections and greater government presence in local markets to protect consumers.
