NAFDAC DG Challenges Public Over Blame for Fake Fresh Food Items

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has openly criticized Nigerians for placing sole blame on her agency regarding the proliferation of counterfeit food products in the market.

This comes amidst growing concerns from the public over the alarming presence of fake food items, with recent high-profile cases like actress Ruth Kadiri's experience with 'fake ginger' drawing widespread attention.

In a recent interview with Businessday, Professor Adeyeye clarified that many Nigerians are uninformed about NAFDAC's specific mandate. She explained that the regulation of fresh food products does not fall under NAFDAC's jurisdiction but is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Professor Adeyeye, NAFDAC's regulatory scope is limited to processed and semi-processed food items. She stated, ''Nigerians are very ignorant, We don't read, We don't understand. From farm to fork, there are many organizations that are involved. NAFDAC mandate is for processed or semi-processed food. So the oranges you buy in the market, we don't, we don't control the oranges we buy in the market, however, if somebody puts pesticide on that orange, we have to train the farmer not to harvest on time. We have to train the farmers with the Ministry of Agriculture. It is the Ministry of Agric that has the primary mandate for fresh produce. However, because we approve and regulate the use of pesticides, we have the obligation to train them on how to use it based on direction on the label. We have We have about 56% illetracy. If it is a literate country, they will read. Which one ‘’put one teaspoon in one gallon''. Sometimes, our people don't understand. They think the more you put, the better''.

Her comments highlight a perceived gap in public understanding of regulatory responsibilities and the challenges posed by illiteracy in ensuring proper product usage and compliance.