Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has sealed several shops and business premises at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos State, over suspected dealings in unregistered cosmetic products, in a two-day enforcement operation that has ignited fresh tensions between regulators and traders at one of Nigeria's largest commercial hubs.
NAFDAC disclosed the enforcement action in a statement shared on its X account on Saturday, August 29, 2026, confirming that its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Cosmetics Division, carried out the operation on August 26 and 27, 2026, as part of efforts to remove specified unregistered cosmetic products from circulation. The agency said the operation covered several shops and business premises where suspected unregistered cosmetics were identified.
Among the affected premises are Vincentmo World, opposite Bmeck Plaza, Private Plaza; Amazon City of Fragrance, Shops 37 and 38, Beauty Promise Land Plaza; and Aza-King Store Perfumes, opposite Fidelity Bank. Others include PP2 & Fragrance Int'l Ltd. – Design Perfumes & Cosmetics; No. D12 Fragrance Doctor Shop, Abia Plaza; and God & Obaino Fragrance Store, opposite Wave Plaza. NAFDAC said other shops and business premises within the Trade Fair Complex were also affected by the enforcement operation.
According to the agency, the affected premises were locked and placed under NAFDAC HOLD labels pending further regulatory action. Samples of the suspected unregistered products were collected for further investigation, while invitation letters were issued to the owners and operators of the affected businesses for interrogation and necessary regulatory proceedings.
The Trade Fair Complex, located along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Ojo, is one of the major commercial centres in Lagos State, housing numerous businesses and traders dealing in a wide range of consumer goods, including cosmetics, fragrances and other imported products. The agency's latest action forms part of its regulatory efforts to ensure that cosmetic products circulating in the Nigerian market meet required safety and registration standards.
However, the enforcement action has drawn sharp criticism from traders, who have accused NAFDAC officials of harassment and repeated sealing of their shops. Perfume vendors at the Trade Fair Market staged a protest on Thursday, August 28, 2026, according to a video obtained by SaharaReporters. One of the vendors told SaharaReporters that NAFDAC officials frequently visit the market, move from one shop to another, and seal businesses whose perfumes they claim are not registered. The source said the situation had been ongoing for about two years but had intensified in recent weeks.
"If they lock up your shop, the least amount to be paid is N10 million naira and it takes up to three months and more before the person's shop will be opened," one vendor told SaharaReporters. In the video seen by SaharaReporters, the protesters could be heard chanting: "Leave perfume sellers alone. Stop intimidating perfume sellers. Stop sealing our shops. Let perfume vendors breathe. Leave us alone". The vendors alleged that the repeated sealing of shops and financial demands were making it increasingly difficult for them to operate their businesses.
This is not the first time NAFDAC has targeted suspected illicit products at the Trade Fair Complex. On February 23, 2026, the agency uncovered counterfeit and unregistered cosmetic products valued at more than N3 billion at the APT Trade Fair Complex in Lagos State. Earlier, on February 10, NAFDAC confiscated more than 10 million doses of fake malaria drugs and cosmetic products valued at about N3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos. In April, NAFDAC also uncovered and dismantled two illegal production outlets involved in the counterfeiting and adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Lagos State, seizing counterfeit alcoholic products valued at approximately N350 million.
The latest enforcement action comes amid increased regulatory enforcement against businesses dealing in products that do not meet Nigeria's safety, registration and consumer protection standards. NAFDAC is responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of regulated products in Nigeria, including cosmetics and other related products. However, the perfume vendors are demanding that the agency adopt what they described as a fair and less punitive approach to enforcement while allowing them to continue their businesses.
NAFDAC's response to the allegations was not immediately available as of the time of filing this report. The agency's latest action, while consistent with its mandate to protect public health, has once again highlighted the tension between regulatory enforcement and the livelihoods of small-scale traders who depend on the Trade Fair Complex for their survival.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments