Nollywood actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to intensify its enforcement against suspected counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria.
Kadiri made the call in a video message shared on her verified Instagram account, @ruthkadiri, on Monday.
The actress expressed concern over the safety of food, drinks, medicines, cosmetics and other household products sold in Nigerian markets.
She said many consumers purchase such products believing they are safe, only to discover that some are poorly produced, contaminated or potentially harmful.
“Dear Nigerians, I’m speaking to you today with a heavy heart and deep concern about the circulation of fake products in our country today,” she said.
Kadiri also shared a personal experience involving garlic, saying she became concerned after the product changed colour shortly after she blended it.
“I bought garlic, blended it, went upstairs and came back to find my garlic had turned green. A whole lot of other people have their own experiences,” she said.
She said she was particularly worried about packaged drinks purchased for children, expressing fears over their potential health effects.
According to her, some products manufactured and sold in Nigeria could be putting consumers’ health at risk as manufacturers prioritise profit.
Kadiri urged parents and guardians to check expiry dates and NAFDAC registration numbers before purchasing regulated products.
“To parents, guardians, please pay attention to expiry dates. Pay attention to NAFDAC numbers. NAFDAC, please pay attention to the lives of Nigerians,” she said.
She also urged consumers to report products suspected of being fake, unsafe, or substandard to the relevant authorities.
Kadiri said the consequences of consuming counterfeit products, particularly fake medicines, could be severe and called for stronger collaboration between consumers and regulatory agencies to protect public health.
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Her call comes amid intensified efforts by NAFDAC to combat counterfeit and substandard products across the country.
In September, NAFDAC said it had secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting between June 2025 and June 2026, with offenders sentenced to between one and seven years in prison.
The agency also reported destroying regulated products valued at more than N1.5 trillion during coordinated enforcement operations.
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