The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged businesses to prioritize compliance with health and safety regulations, particularly in the areas of accurate branding and proper handling of regulated products.
Speaking at the 2024 African Retail Congress in Lagos, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Nantin Dadi, the Director of the Northwest Zone, highlighted the importance of businesses understanding local and international regulations governing products such as processed foods, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, herbal products, and chemicals.
Dadi emphasized that every product is subject to a law that regulates it and failure to comply with these regulations can lead to significant financial losses. He warned, “Just one officer who knows the law can mess up your whole distribution network by quoting one law, closing you down, and shutting you out for a week. You could lose N20m.”
Retailers were advised to engage in regulatory mapping when expanding into new markets to ensure compliance with the requirements of regulators like NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. Dadi explained, “In any environment you expand into, you must identify all relevant regulators. Understanding their requirements will help you operate efficiently and avoid conflicts.”
He further noted that poor storage practices and selling unregistered products often lead to sanctions. For example, selling yogurt without proper refrigeration could lead to an administrative charge and the seizure of products by NAFDAC to protect consumers.
Dadi also raised concerns about misleading claims and false labels on products. He stated, “Your label is the first contact between the customer and the product. If you claim a product cures all diseases without evidence, it will be removed.” He stressed that NAFDAC works to protect consumers from such misleading information.
The NAFDAC official encouraged businesses to use NAFDAC’s online resources to familiarize themselves with the regulations. He explained that accurate product labeling is essential to ensure consumer safety, stating, “Consumers depend on us to ensure that what you put inside is exactly what you say it is.”
