The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has evacuated banned alcoholic beverages and unregistered food products from shops at Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island following an enforcement operation targeting the sale of prohibited and suspected counterfeit goods.
The agency’s Investigation and Enforcement officers discovered alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of less than 200 millilitres concealed in some shops during the operation.
Also read: Police ban drones, restrict traffic for Tinubu’s visit
The team also uncovered unregistered food products and alcoholic beverages suspected to be fake. The identified products were evacuated from the market for further regulatory action.
The operation forms part of NAFDAC’s continuing efforts to enforce restrictions on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small containers, as well as prevent unregistered and potentially unsafe products from circulating in Nigerian markets.
The ban covers spirit drinks packaged in sachets and small-volume PET and glass bottles below 200ml. Following an extended phase-out period, full enforcement took effect on January 1, 2026.
NAFDAC has maintained that the restriction is intended to reduce access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages, particularly among children and young people, and address concerns about alcohol misuse.
In July 2026, the agency commenced a nationwide enforcement exercise to remove prohibited alcoholic drinks from markets, retail outlets, motor parks, bars and distribution centres.
The campaign followed inspections of manufacturing facilities and efforts to stop the production and distribution of the affected products.
The latest operation at Oke-Arin also follows an earlier enforcement exercise in Lagos markets in October, when NAFDAC reported the seizure of alcoholic beverages valued at an estimated ₦300m from Ile-Epo, Ojuwoye and Oke-Arin markets.
During that exercise, the agency said some distributors and retailers had allegedly continued to stock the prohibited products despite the ban.
Beyond the alcohol restrictions, the discovery of unregistered and suspected counterfeit food products highlights the wider challenge of monitoring goods moving through busy wholesale and retail markets.
NAFDAC is responsible for regulating food, drugs and other regulated products to ensure they meet applicable safety and quality requirements before reaching consumers.
The agency has repeatedly urged manufacturers, distributors and retailers to comply with its regulations, warning that businesses involved in the production or sale of prohibited and unregistered products risk regulatory sanctions.
Although the latest operation resulted in the evacuation of the identified goods, details of their quantity, estimated value, specific product names and any arrests were not provided in the information released.
The agency is expected to establish the regulatory status and authenticity of the suspected fake products through further investigation.
Also read: Police ban drones, restrict traffic for Tinubu’s visit
For consumers, the operation reinforces the importance of checking product registration details, packaging information and other identifying features before purchasing food and alcoholic beverages.
