NAFDAC seals three Lagos cosmetics shops over sale of unregistered products 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has raided major cosmetics shops at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, closing down three shops located in Excellent Line over the sale of unregistered products.

The regulatory agency also raided other leading cosmetics shops in Egbeada and Ikeja areas of the state.

The raid targeted shops selling “Dr. Teal’s” brand cosmetics, following a complaint from the trademark holder about potential fakes.

The agency’s enforcement unit during the raid on Wednesday also seized samples for laboratory testing to verify their safety and authenticity.

The raid the enforcement team noted followed a tip-off from concerned Nigerians.

Some managers of the affected shops and supermarkets claimed to have documents to back up their products and promised to honour NAFDAC’s invitation to its office.

Speaking at the end of the raid, the Team lead who is also the Chief Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Ishildi Sunday, said the agency received a complaint from the trademark owner about alleged fakes and the market authorisation holder.

Sunday explained, “Technically, any regulated product that does not have a NAFDAC registration number is considered fake.

“As it is, any product that is not registered, we cannot vouch for the quality and safety of the use of the product by the general public.

“Since it is our mandate as an agency to safeguard the health of Nigerians and ensure that all regulated products are safe and of good quality, we can only confirm its safety through laboratory analyses.”

However, he assured that the shops affected would be reopened after administering the necessary stipulated sanctions for the sale, manufacture, or distribution of unregistered products.

Sunday said if the affected shop owners are found guilty they would pay an administrative penalty for sales of unregistered products of five million naira according to NAFDAC’s stipulated tariff.

“Retailers and suppliers are liable and NAFDAC will penalise violators,” Sunday added.

“Our focus was primarily on Dr. Teal’s. Therefore, to avoid distractions, we’re considering the exigencies and the number of shops we have to visit, and we focus mainly on the product in question.

“We evacuated three unregistered products; shower gel, oil, lotion, etc.  We have also issued invitation letters to them. Also, another shop called Cubana Stores (Global Venture) located at Phil Hallmark Plaza, was sealed for stocking and selling the Moisturising Body and Bath range of the alleged unregistered Dr. Teal’s brand of cosmetic product to the public.    He was issued an invitation letter to the NAFDAC office”, he said.

At Okas Global Link Ltd, where large cartons of Dr Teals and other unregistered products were discovered and suspected to be the distributor of the unregistered Dr Teal’s products, over 200 cartons of various ranges of were, and a large number were confiscated NAFDAC.

On the health risks associated with using such products, Sunday said a lot of health challenges were associated with the use of fake cosmetics products, depending on the bleaching agents or the active ingredients in that particular cosmetic.

He added, ” If a cosmetics product obtains mercury which is a bleaching agent, the person will develop wrinkles—red-dark patches on the skin that would eventually lead to skin cancer.

“Some of them, like hydroquinone, NAFDAC allows only a certain percentage; but when it is in excess, it becomes a threat to the skin.

“You know, skin toning has to do with inhibitions of the enzyme that produces melanin that gives us natural pigmentation; so, what the compound does is inhibit the activities of these enzymes that convert phenylalanine, which is a precursor to melanin that gives us skin pigment from being active, leading to toning or bleaching of the skin.”