Stakeholders Express Concern over Fake Products in Nigerian Market

market women

Stakeholders in the Nigerian retail business have expressed concern over the flooding of the market with fake products.

At a one-day seminar with the theme “Building Capacity to Create and Sustain Superior Performance in the Retail Business in Nigeria” organized by the United States Consulate General in Lagos, the stakeholders lamented that the flow of fake products in the market has adversely affected the sale of genuine products.

They urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to urgently take action to check the development. They listed counterfeit products, the lengthy time it takes NAFDAC to register products and expired products, as some of the constraints facing them.

In her remarks, the Deputy Director of NAFDAC, Mrs. Esther Amuta explained that several agencies are involved in the process of registration of products, though NAFDAC has the statutory mission in taking care of retail food business.

Amuta said NAFDAC has put in place regulatory policies to monitor every product manufactured in the country or imported from abroad. She observed that stakeholders in the retail business are facing problem of registration because they often submit incomplete documents. “If the documents are incomplete, the documentation process will be delayed” she said.

She stressed that NAFDAC does not manipulate the process of registration, adding that if documents were complete and properly submitted, there would be no delay in documentation.

In her opinion, the Head of Food Department, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs. Margret Esheitt noted that retail food business in Nigeria lacks the proper techniques of product packaging.
“Every manufacturing company should ensure that appropriate materials are used to package their products,” she advised.

Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Counselor, Kurth Seifarth had earlier disclosed to the participants that the objective of the seminar is to create and sustain superior performance in the retail business in Nigeria and also to make sure they have the latest information to do the job well, adding that this would enable stakeholders to participate properly in the importation and exportation of goods in addition to maintaining good relations between the U.S. and Nigerian markets.

Seifarth, while reiterating the commitment of his government’s to supporting Nigeria in the development of her agriculture sector, said his government had concluded arrangement to assist more Nigerian farmers in “priority areas” so far identified by Nigerian government.

“From my experience around the world, all countries are developing their agricultural resources based on their priorities and Nigeria is amongst those countries that have the possibility of being a very strong agricultural products producer. We are, therefore, ready to provide the needed technical assistance to Nigerian farmers in the priority areas the government has identified,’’ he said.

The U.S official said that it was imperative for his government to support the farmers in overcoming their current challenges as it was also for Nigeria to sustain her food safety laws, overall framework for producing fruits, as well as develop her poultry farming system.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the U.S. Federal Executive Department responsible for developing and executing the government’s policy on farming, agriculture, forestry and food. It was set up to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety and protect natural resources. The Department is to foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and internationally.