NAFDAC Impounds Fake Champagnes, Spirits In Lagos. Nigeria And Imitation, Substandard Products

The reason why some Nigerians don't buy things from local stores or road side shop for their groceries is bourne out of fear of buy fake, sub standard or inferiors products there. When the Buy Naija To Grow The Naira hashtag was going round some weeks back, we never thought of the fact that many of these foreign goods we run after actually has a lot of imitations we buy and still pay the price of the authentic.  One can't point to a particular products that has no imitation or inferiors around. From clothings to shoes, Ladies Bags, Human hair, Champagnes even pharmaceutical drugs and drinking water. Nowadays we see on a daily basis products seized by National Agency for Food Drugs and Administration Control NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON and other regulatory bodies.


The SON this week announced that dealers of car and truck tyres should destroy all sub standard products they have or risk going to jail. This is coming at the heels of the accident that claimed a serving Minister's life, James Ocholi, his wife and son in an accident that was probably caused by a burst tyre while on top speed. No one could have been able to ascertain if the driver of the car purchased tyres for the car from a dealer who deals in fake or substandard tyres or not. The General belief is that when you are buying tyres in Nigeria don't believe whatever that is packaged for you. Even with expiry date written on such tyres you can never be sure you are buying authentic tyres.

Another shocking revelation came to the public notice of Nigerians when a fake water dispenser bottles were being filled from a tap water. Seeing that on Facebook recently was worrisome and scary, that singular practice could ve killed a lot of innocent people and rendered so many knocked down in hospital for one sickness or the other. The extent to which Nigerians go to make money and destroy the lives of others is alarming. What this simply means is that all the NAFDAC registered numbers being quoted on all those drinking water around are mere figures, it doesnt really hold water.

Another disappointing report came into the knowledge of the public recently when NAFDAC impounded some champagne, spirits and liquor that we regularly and happily want to grab and drink in parties and clubs around. These are wines and spirits that ordinarily are expensive and one would think that with the brand being a global brand and we'll brewed to get the fake types won't be easy. But trust our Aba and island boys they make thier types and even get the cartons and cover perfectly done. The other time it was a syndicate producing coca cola coke in bottles! Another one caught sometimes ago was brewing Guinness stout and Beers that we drink regularly without thinking twice. Only God knows how many would have been sent to thier early graves from kidney related diseases through drinking of  those chemicals they gulp in several bottles.

Looking at all these and mortality rate in Nigeria one would quickly conclude that most of the deaths we experience in the country are caused by these unscrupulous criminals whose aim is to make money at the expense of others health and sometimes lives. NAFDAC on its own is trying and we can see the amount of work done in the areas of fake drugs they destroy regularly while arresting and prosecuting many of the bad guys. More is expected from them and other regulatory agencies especially Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON. So many fake and substandard products, imitations of the original products find their ways to the common market where everybody buy them under the pretence of buying authentic  and sometimes sell them at the prices of the real products.