The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over new counterfeiting in Nigeria, saying criminals now fake medicines, bottled water, toothpaste and herbal products.

South-West Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Dr.

Isaac Kolawole, said this on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the agency’s regulatory activities and consumer protection measures and compliance efforts.

Kolawole said the development was more dangerous than fashion counterfeiting, as adulterated medicines and foods could cause severe health complications, treatment failures and potentially fatal consequences for consumers across affected communities.

According to him, NAFDAC, established by Decree No. 15 of 1993, amended by Decree No. 19 of 1999 and codified as Cap N1 in 2004, regulates food, drugs, cosmetics and chemicals.

He said the agency also had the mandate to combat counterfeit, expired and substandard regulated products, while protecting consumers from associated health risks across Nigeria and strengthening regulatory compliance and safety.

The Zonal Director advised Nigerians to buy medicines from trusted pharmacies and avoid open-air drug markets when purchasing critical prescriptions, especially medicines requiring proper storage and professional guidance to ensure safety.

He urged consumers to check physical details such as poor print quality, missing batch numbers and unusual seals, and use NAFDAC’s Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) where available to verify products safely.

“Read everything on the label carefully before usage and report suspicious items immediately if a common brand tastes or looks wrong. NAFDAC is customer-focused, agency-minded,” he said.

Kolawole also gave updates on other regulatory activities, including product registration, rice fortification and trans-fatty acids, highlighting measures aimed at improving consumer protection and public health nationwide for consumers nationwide.

On registration timelines, he said NAFDAC registration currently took 120 days for micro food products, 180 working days for small, medium and large food and cosmetics, and 240 days for drugs/vaccines.

He gave the breakdown for micro food products as 10 working days for document verification, 20 working days for inspection, 60 working days for laboratory analysis and 30 working days for approval.

On inspection scheduling, he explained that the vetting and inspection fee was generated and paid, after which the client selected an inspection date for approval by responsible officers before inspection was conducted.

Speaking on rice fortification, Kolawole said with more than 90 per cent of Nigerians consuming rice, it remained an effective vehicle for delivering essential micronutrients at scale across households nationwide consistently.

“The rice remains the same. Micronutrients are added in measured quantities. Fortification improves nutrition without changing eating habits,” he said, explaining the nutritional benefits of the programme to consumers.

He said the initiative was aimed at tackling deficiencies in iron, zinc, folic acid, B vitamins and vitamin A, adding that the programme was approved in 2021 as public health intervention.

Kolawole said the programme was currently voluntary but would eventually become mandatory, as authorities sought to improve nutritional outcomes through wider adoption of fortified rice products across Nigeria over time.

He said NAFDAC planned to strengthen its laboratories in Lagos and Maiduguri for micronutrient testing and promote the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) system for improved monitoring nationwide.

He added that rice mill owners could apply to NAFDAC for fortification certification, requiring a blender and premix containing iron as ferric pyrophosphate, zinc oxide, vitamins B1 and B12, and folic acid.

He said the certification process also required inspection by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and NAFDAC, while importers were expected to present fortification certificates before their products entered the Nigerian market.

Earlier, the Ekiti State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Stella Dosunmu, expressed delight at the number of participants, describing it as evidence of stakeholders’ commitment to safeguarding public health and promoting growth.

She said the stakeholders’ engagement was designed to bridge the gap between regulatory requirements and business operations, while improving understanding and compliance among relevant stakeholders in Ekiti and supporting safer practices.

“We are here to deliberate on best manufacturing practices, hygienic food handling, the dangers of substandard and falsified medical products and the streamlined pathways for product registration,” she said, emphasising compliance.

In his goodwill message, Prof. Samuel Fafure, Chief Executive Officer, Faforum Herbal Medicine, urged the agency’s management to expand its workforce to enable it to carry out regulatory oversight more effectively.

The meeting was attended by members and executives of trade associations, technical groups, bakers’ associations, manufacturers, distributors and retailers from across the state.(NAN)

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has honoured eight outstanding candidates who emerged as the best-performing male and female students across its major examinations in 2025.

The council also recognised 90 serving staff and five retired directors and acting directors for exceptional performance, dedication and productivity in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The awards, which included certificates of recognition and cash prizes, were presented to the beneficiaries as part of efforts by the examination body to promote academic excellence, hard work and positive competition.

The eight students were drawn from the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), National Gifted Examination, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

In the NCEE category, Alocha Naeto, a male candidate from Anambra State domiciled in Lagos, emerged as the best-performing candidate, while Adenuga Monsurat Feyisara from Ogun State, also domiciled in Lagos, was adjudged the best female candidate.

For the National Gifted Examination, Ezeudu Samuel Akachukwu from Anambra State emerged the best male candidate, while Ubochi Akunnaya Nancy from Imo State emerged the overall best female candidate.

In the BECE category, Micheal Daniella Chiamaka of Chrisland High School, Lagos, emerged the best female candidate, while Salihu Amir Umar of Kedwel International School, Barnawa, Kaduna, was adjudged the best male candidate.

The SSCE category witnessed a clean sweep by two candidates from a private school in Kaduna State, with Akai Bernice Kuyat emerging the best female candidate and Eke Felix Emenike taking the award for the best male candidate.

Speaking at the award ceremony, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, said the initiative was designed to celebrate excellence, reward hard work and encourage healthy competition among candidates and staff.

Wushishi also commended NECO staff for their resilience and commitment to conducting examinations despite security and other operational challenges across the country.

He said, “Boko Haram can’t stop our examination. Bandits, kidnappers or sit-at-home has not stopped us from discharging our responsibility.

“That is why I often refer to our staff as NECO soldiers. From my experience as a former military personnel, what our staff do is pure gallantry.”

The NECO boss explained that the recognition of workers across different cadres, including drivers, cleaners and storekeepers, was deliberate, stressing that every category of staff contributes to the effective functioning of the council.

According to him, recognising dedicated workers was intended to motivate them to sustain and improve their level of performance.

In all, 90 serving staff and five retired directors and acting directors received certificates of service and productivity awards, alongside undisclosed cash rewards.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sought the partnership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Borno Council towards credible, peaceful, transparent, and successful coverage of the 2027 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Borno, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, made this known when he visited the NUJ Borno Council on Wednesday in Maiduguri.

Abdullahi called for effective collaboration between the commission and the media to ensure proper dissemination of accurate information on the electoral process from beginning to end.

He stressed the importance of journalists providing the public with credible and verified information to enhance understanding of the electoral process.

The REC urged journalists not to rely solely on information circulated on social media, but to always verify electoral information before publication.

According to him, the media have a significant role to play in educating the electorate and promoting peaceful and credible elections.

He assured journalists that his office would always be open for enquiries and clarifications on electoral matters.

Abdullahi said INEC would continue to engage stakeholders, particularly the media, to ensure that relevant information reaches the electorate in a timely and accurate manner.

Responding, the NUJ Chairman, Abdulkareem Haruna, pledged the council’s effective collaboration and partnership with INEC ahead of the elections.

Haruna said the council would ensure effective coverage of electoral activities and support initiatives aimed at promoting credible elections.

He commended the REC for visiting the NUJ and engaging journalists, describing the interaction as an important step towards strengthening cooperation between the commission and the media.

He said the council remained committed to professional journalism and responsible coverage of the electoral process.(NAN)