Veteran Nollywood actress Ngozi Ezeonu has called out sellers of fake drugs, baby formula and other counterfeit products, urging them to stop putting Nigerians’ lives at risk for profit, while calling on NAFDAC, SON and FCCPC to step up monitoring and enforcement against the circulation of fake products.
In a video shared on her Instagram page this week, Ezeonu expressed concern over what she described as the growing circulation of fake products, recounting cases of young people she has seen deteriorate in hospitals with kidney and liver problems.
The actress said some patients take the drugs prescribed to them but fail to recover, raising concerns about whether counterfeit or substandard medicines could be contributing to poor treatment outcomes.
Ezeonu also drew attention to counterfeit children’s products, including fake versions of common drinks and baby formula, warning that such products could pose serious risks to vulnerable consumers.
Speaking directly to those involved in the trade, she said, “If you are one of the people doing fake drugs, please stop.” She acknowledged the need for people to make money but insisted that profit should not come at the expense of human lives.
“We shouldn’t be our own enemy,” Ezeonu said, while appealing to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to strengthen monitoring and enforcement.
Her comments come amid a wider public dispute over the responsibility of regulatory agencies for products that reach Nigerian markets, following recent comments by NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
Speaking to BusinessDay TV on Monday, Adeyeye said many Nigerians do not read product labels or understand the agency’s regulatory responsibilities. She also explained that NAFDAC regulates processed and semi-processed foods, while fresh produce falls under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ezeonu’s appeal has added her voice to growing concerns over consumer safety, with calls for stronger regulatory oversight and greater responsibility from manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers to keep fake and potentially harmful products off the market.
