Nollywood actresses Ngozi Ezeonu and Ruth Kadiri have joined other Nigerians in raising concerns over the alleged circulation of fake drugs and unsafe consumer products in the country, while questioning the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)’s effectiveness in protecting the public.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that concerns over counterfeit products have continued to grow among Nigerians on social media, with many users drawing attention to fake and adulterated foods, beverages and cosmetics, as well as compromised medicines. They said some of the products are packaged with labels that closely resemble those of genuine brands, making them difficult for consumers to distinguish.
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As the issue continues to spark a national debate amid concerns over insecurity and rising fuel prices, the actresses, in videos posted on their Instagram pages, called on NAFDAC to intensify its surveillance of products sold across the country.
According to Ngozi, many young Nigerians are currently suffering from kidney and liver-related conditions, with several receiving treatment in hospitals across the country. She maintained that the illnesses could not be attributed solely to lifestyle.
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The 61-year-old said: “Most times, it is probably the medication they take. Somebody gets sick, goes to the hospital, gets prescriptions, gets the drugs, and takes the medication, but the sickness doesn’t go away. Still there or probably getting worse. Come on, guys. Why would anybody want to throw stones in the market? Who do you think it will fall on?
“It might fall on your mother, it might fall on your father, your children, or even you. You might be in that market at the wrong time and that stone hits you. Let us not be our own enemies. Yes, I know we have to get money, we have to look for money, we have to be rich, but not at the detriment of lives, innocent lives. Yes, you guys are big guys. When you’re sick, you travel overseas.”
Authorities
Furthermore, the actress questioned government officials and wealthy Nigerians who travel abroad for medical treatment.
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She asked whether they had ever considered the possibility of encountering counterfeit drugs, injections and other medical products.
“You’re so rich that you can fly your whole family abroad when they are sick. What about the people who are not as well-to-do as you are? Some people go to the general hospitals, regular hospitals, to treat themselves. What would you gain when people die, when people go like that because you have to make money? It’s painful for me. It’s really painful for me. We shouldn’t be our own enemies.
“We should value lives. Please, if you are one of the people who are doing these fake drugs, please stop. People are dying. Our children are dying. Right now, I’m speaking as a mother. I am begging every one of you. Everything in our country now, I don’t understand, because everybody wants to make money. The common drinks children take, you have a lot of fake ones”, said the actress.
Accountability
Ngozi also called on political officeholders to move beyond political statements and take concrete steps to address the situation. She said she was particularly disturbed to learn that some baby formulas were also being falsified.
The actress appealed to those involved in the production of counterfeit drugs and other products to stop, warning that the pursuit of wealth was not worth compromising their conscience or risking their souls.
She further urged manufacturers of fake drugs and products to consider the lives at stake and desist from putting innocent people in danger for financial gain.
“Then to the authorities. It’s not just politics. We are the ones you are governing. Do you people check the standards of what people eat these days? Do you? Nobody knows, Oga Madam; it might be your own children. It might be you. You might be the one it will eat. I don’t have much to say, but I beg you: desist from wasting lives. I beg you.
“God bless you all as we change our ways, as we do the needful. I don’t understand. I do not understand this whole thing; what is going on? If you make all the money in this world, do you think about where your soul will go to? Have you given it a thought? With everything you’re doing, at the end of the day, where are you going?”
“My garlic turned green”
Recalling her encounter with counterfeit products, Ruth said she once bought garlic that turned green shortly after she blended it.
Ruth expressed concern over the growing circulation of fake goods in Nigeria and urged authorities to strengthen inspections and impose tougher penalties on manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit products.
She warned that the widespread sale of fake food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics and household products poses a serious threat to human life.
“Every day, people buy food, drinks, medicine, cosmetics, and household products, believing that they are safe, but sadly they are poorly produced, contaminated, harmful, and mostly fake. This is not just a business problem; it’s a threat to human life. A sick person goes to the pharmacy to get medication, hoping to get better, but gets worse. Sometimes we see lots of children dealing with kidney failure, and we ask ourselves, where are these increasing problems coming from?
“Fake products. I bought garlic, blended it, went upstairs and came back; my garlic had turned green. A whole lot of other people have had similar experiences; I’m literally afraid to buy pre-packed drinks for my kids because I’m scared of what the outcome of that drink might be. And it’s not just a buying problem; it is a real problem,” said Ruth.
Caution
She further urged consumers to be vigilant when buying products, checking expiry dates and NAFDAC registration numbers to ensure they are purchasing genuine items.
The actress lamented that many of the fake products putting Nigerians’ health and lives at risk are produced within the country by people who appear to prioritise profit over human lives.
Ruth noted, “That is why we all have to come together as a people. If you live in an environment where fake products are created, please speak up. You might be saving a child from kidney failure, you might be saving a child from heart failure, and you may be saving a family from losing the life of their benefactor. You might be saving your own child. Never say it can never be.
“To parents, to guardians, please pay attention to the expiry date. Pay attention to NAFDAC numbers. NAFDAC, please pay attention to the lives of Nigerians. Lots and lots of people are sick and are not getting better because of the cost of fake products; the cost of fake medicine is much more than we can ever ask or think. Let us be our brother’s keeper this time. Let us all put our voices together for this cause, and let us all fight fakeness out of our system.”
Speak up
She further called on Nigerians to expose the production of counterfeit goods in their communities instead of protecting those behind the illegal activities.
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According to Ruth, the situation had become increasingly worrying, as consumers had no control over the quality of products that entered the market.
“The era of keeping quiet when they ask you how you made your money is no longer. We have passed that stage. If you deal in fake products, rest assured that you will be caught and you’ll be treated like a criminal, in fact, like a hired killer that you are. And to the authorities, we need stricter inspections of manufacturing companies and product companies so that the lives of Nigerians, including yours, can be saved.
“And all those who are found wanting their punishment be done swiftly and justly. Please, close your eyes and do not take bribes from companies that produce these things, because it might just be your child consuming it. Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. Please, and please, let us all put our voices together and see how we can fight this out of our country.”
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