The Chief Executive Officer of Healthgarde International, Nneka Nwarueze, has called for stricter regulation of wellness products in Nigeria to protect public health.
She warned that the unchecked proliferation of unverified supplements and health items, particularly those sold on the roadside and on buses, poses potential risks to public safety.
In a statement released on Sunday, Nwarueze, who spoke at the company’s sixth-anniversary celebration in Lagos, expressed concern that many products currently circulating in the market lack proper certification and clear labelling.
These, she said, make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between safe and harmful options.
According to her, the rapid growth of the wellness industry, driven by rising health consciousness, has also attracted unscrupulous actors seeking to profit from regulatory gaps.
She, however, urged relevant authorities to strengthen oversight, enforce quality standards, and intensify public awareness on safe product use.
Nwarueze added that effective regulation would not only protect consumers but also promote credibility and sustainable growth within the country’s expanding wellness industry.
She said, “The wellness industry is vast, and the government can strengthen checks and balances, just as NAFDAC is doing. What the government can do is continue monitoring and ensuring compliance, especially among those who sell wellness products in buses or on the roadside.
“People should check whether a product has a NAFDAC number and whether that number is genuine. When someone claims to manufacture a product and sells it for N1,000 or N2,000, it raises concerns, because production, packaging, and distribution all cost money. Many such products may be fake. So the government can still do more.”
The Healthgarde CEO explained that products from her company are approved by the right regulatory agencies.
“Our facility is approved by NAFDAC as a manufacturing plant in Nigeria, and all our products are approved by NAFDAC before they enter the market,” she said.
Also speaking, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Lovelyn Bassey, urged the government to support local manufacturers.
“Funding would help a lot, especially access to low-interest financing from the government. That is something most manufacturers are looking for.
“Also, many raw materials are still imported, so stronger bilateral agreements between Nigeria and other countries would help reduce costs and make imports more affordable,” she said.
