NAFDAC uncovers unregistered cosmetics, falsified medicines, banned soaps at Trade Fair Complex

By Chioma Obinna The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has uncovered a suspected illegal cosmetics production and packaging operation at the Tools and Hardware section of Trade Fair Complex, Lagos. The raid exposes a network of unregistered products and materials allegedly intended for illicit manufacturing. Read Also: NAFDAC uncovers another fake herbal factory in Lagos, arrests manager The discovery followed an enforcement operation at the sprawling market along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Officials found unlabelled cosmetics, empty product containers, packaging materials and already-produced creams across different floors of a two-storey building. In a video of the operation shared on the Agency’s official X account on Saturday, Mr. Olakunle Ojo, NAFDAC enforcement team lead, and other officials were seen inspecting the building and displaying the recovered materials, raising concerns over the production and circulation of cosmetics of unknown origin and regulatory status.

“This is exactly what we are able to find at this particular location,” Mr. Ojo said while displaying various packaging materials and empty containers. The inspection revealed packaging materials bearing names such as turmeric vitamin C and other cosmetic product descriptions, alongside empty shampoo tubes, lotion containers and materials suspected to be intended for the packaging of unregistered products.

On the upper floors, officials discovered additional packaging materials, including containers for different cosmetic products, as well as already-produced glutawide cream. The agency also displayed materials bearing different product names, but could not immediately establish the identity and regulatory status of some of the substances and products found at the premises.

NAFDAC described the operation as part of its ongoing enforcement activities at the Trade Fair Complex, where it has uncovered several suspected illegal manufacturing, storage and distribution activities. ‘Drugs’ In a related discovery at the complex, the agency uncovered a warehouse on the last floor of a building containing packaging materials for suspected falsified medicines, including Augmentin 625mg and Amplicloxa.

Bottle caps bearing the Gordon’s Gin brand were also reportedly found among the materials. The latest discoveries add to a series of enforcement operations by NAFDAC at the Trade Fair market. In previous raids, the agency recovered 728 cartons of Crusader soap, 718 cartons of E45 soap and quantities of Extract Gold whitening soap, products it said were banned by the Federal Government.

The repeated discoveries have raised concerns about the scale of illegal product manufacturing and repackaging activities operating within the market, as well as the potential risks to unsuspecting consumers.