Reps ask FG to crack down on killers manufacturing fake food, drinks

Sign in Welcome! Log into your account your username your password Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password your email A password will be e-mailed to you. Friday, October 23, 2026 Sign in / Join News Lead Story Gist World News Faceoff Education Photo Gallery Healthy Living Economy Business Suite Naira Wise Value for Money Money || Capital Market Politics Hot Seat City Pulse Crime Court Metro Point Extra Photo Of The Week Opinion Views Cartoons Editorial Weekend Treat Beer Parlour Parliament Elder’s Porch Marriage Palaver Elegance Entertainment Fashion Jewel Spouses Star christian world Islam FROM THE ARCHIVES ThePoint TV Facebook News Lead Story Gist World News Faceoff Education Photo Gallery Healthy Living Economy Business Suite Naira Wise Value for Money Money || Capital Market Politics Hot Seat City Pulse Crime Court Metro Point Extra Photo Of The Week Opinion Views Back page Eye witnesses Cartoons Editorial Weekend Treat Beer Parlour Parliament Elder’s Porch Marriage Palaver Elegance Entertainment Fashion Jewel Spouses Star christian world Islam FROM THE ARCHIVES ThePoint TV Search Home News Lead Story Reps ask FG to crack down on killers manufacturing fake food, drinks NewsLead StoryTrending FacebookXPinterestWhatsApp The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to tackle the production, distribution, and sale of fake, adulterated, and substandard food and beverages in Nigeria. Lawmakers warned that the growing menace poses immediate, life-threatening risks to public health and requires an aggressive, multi-agency intervention.

The House made the call during plenary on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Abubakar Yalleman, the All Progressives Congress member representing the Madori/Kaugama Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.

Moving the motion, Yalleman emphasized that securing the country’s dietary supply chain is foundational to national development. Access to safe, wholesome, and quality food and beverages remains essential to the health, well-being, and productivity of all Nigerians. Standardized processing methods and proper hygiene practices are necessary to prevent widespread foodborne illnesses. These illnesses are frequently caused by harmful bacteria, chemical residues, expired ingredients, and physical contaminants introduced during illegal manufacturing.

Beyond public health, the lawmaker highlighted the economic dimensions of strict quality control. Compliance with food safety standards would improve the competitiveness of Nigerian food businesses in regional and international markets. Ensuring consistent quality is vital for reducing the rejection of exported products and boosting broader macroeconomic growth.

However, deep concern was expressed over recent incidents involving the production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages and the operation of illegal food and drink factories. To underscore the severity of the crisis, Yalleman cited specific enforcement actions executed by regulatory authorities earlier this year.

These included the dismantling of illegal alcohol counterfeiting syndicates at Zamfara Plaza on Lagos Island by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on April 22, 2026. The lawmaker also noted 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 Yalleman, these operational breakdowns are clear evidence of a widespread, systemic issue. The lawmaker stated that the incidents: “comprise the growing production, distribution and sales of fake, adulterated, unregistered and substandard food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, beverages, bottled water and other products consumed daily by communities in Nigeria thereby putting Nigerians at risk of developing serious health issues.”

Detailed breakdowns revealed how unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors deliberately sabotage public health for illicit financial gain. These actors counterfeit established brands, alter product labels and expiry dates, use inferior or contaminated raw materials, illegally reuse or refill containers, and manufacture food and beverages entirely outside approved regulatory standards.

The lawmaker warned that consuming these compromised products exposes citizens to devastating, long-term health crises. The presentation stressed that: “The House is concerned that some unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors engage in practices such as counterfeiting established brands, alter labels and expiry dates, using inferior or contaminated raw materials, illegally reusing or refilling containers, and producing food and beverages outside approved regulatory standards thereby posing severe life-threatening public health risks, including acute poisoning, cancer and damages to vital organs like kidney, lung, liver, heart etc.”

NAFDAC is statutorily responsible for regulating food, bottled water, and other products under its mandate. Meanwhile, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission manages consumer protection and product safety, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria ensures goods meet basic benchmarks.

While acknowledging the recent efforts of these three agencies, Yalleman said profound concerns persist over the easy circulation of products bearing misleading or deceptive information—particularly regarding production dates, expiry timelines, batch numbers, manufacturer details, and ingredients.

The lawmaker argued that existing laws provide a legal basis for dealing with unsafe products, but called for stronger enforcement, improved inter-agency coordination, better market surveillance, and greater public awareness.

The circulation of fake food and drinks poses particular risks to children, older people, and other vulnerable groups, contributing heavily to preventable health problems.

Standing before the House, Yalleman declared, “The House is disturbed that with the presence of NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, the Police, NSCDC, the increasing circulation of fake and substandard food and drinks is a very disturbing development which calls for more legislative and executive actions.”

The lawmaker added, “We recognise the need for more effective, efficient and better-coordinated result oriented surveillance, inspection, enforcement and timely prosecution throughout the food and beverage supply chain to rid the country of counterfeit and sub-standard products.”

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 requiring sustained regulatory attention.

It officially called on NAFDAC, SON, and FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, state governments, and other relevant bodies, to immediately intensify nationwide surveillance. These joint task forces are expected to ramp up unscheduled inspections, strict product sampling, laboratory testing, and aggressive enforcement operations against manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers involved anywhere along the chain.

Furthermore, the House mandated its relevant committees—particularly those on Health, Industry, Customs, Standards, and Consumer Protection—to engage regulatory agencies and stakeholders to assess the true scale of the crisis and the effectiveness of existing enforcement measures.

The committees are ordered to report their findings back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action, including immediate measures to permanently curb the circulation of fake food, drinks, and drugs.

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