NAFDAC seals Chinese supermarkets, cosmetics shops in Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja’s Jabi District and eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market for alleged violations of product registration and labelling regulations.

In a statement on Friday, NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, said unregistered goods worth over ₦170 million were seized during the enforcement exercise.

The operation was carried out by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate alongside the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines, led by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Musa Embugushiki.

The supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street, were accused of selling food items without NAFDAC registration numbers and products labelled solely in Chinese, contravening Nigeria’s requirement for English translations on all goods.

“Despite initial denials by the operator of the Ebitu Street outlet, surveillance confirmed the supermarket was fully operational and selling unregistered products,” the agency stated.

In a related raid, eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market were sealed for stocking banned, expired, and unregistered items, including aphrodisiacs and aesthetic medicines.