NAFDAC Reinforces Retail Oversight to Protect Public Health

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria has intensified its regulatory engagement with retail stakeholders, urging supermarkets and large retail outlets to ensure that products offered to consumers are safe, quality-assured, and appropriately authorised by regulatory standards. This development highlights Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to enhance public health protection and improve regulatory compliance across the healthcare and consumer product sectors.

During a stakeholder sensitisation workshop held in Port Harcourt in mid-December 2025, NAFDAC officials emphasised the vital role supermarkets play in the medicine and health products supply chain. The workshop brought together regulators and retail operators to highlight the importance of sourcing and storing products in accordance with national regulatory requirements.

Regulatory Focus on Public Safety and Compliance

Supermarkets and modern retail chains are increasingly important points of access for consumers purchasing medicines, over-the-counter products, and health-related goods. NAFDAC’s call to action reflects a broader regulatory strategy to reduce the circulation of unregistered, substandard, or counterfeit products, which can pose significant risks to public health.

According to the NAFDAC South-South zonal director, supermarket owners must understand and apply regulatory guidelines rigorously when selecting, storing, and selling products. This includes verifying that items are listed on approved regulatory schedules, that they carry valid NAFDAC registration numbers, and that they comply with labelling and storage requirements.

By emphasising partnership with retail stakeholders, NAFDAC aims to build a more transparent and accountable marketplace where consumer access to risky or unapproved products is minimised, and compliance with regulatory controls is strengthened.

Why This Matters for Industry Stakeholders

While NAFDAC’s mandate covers medicines, food, cosmetics, medical devices, and other regulated products, supermarkets and retail outlets often operate outside traditional healthcare delivery channels. As the distinction between healthcare products and consumer retail products blurs, strong regulatory oversight becomes essential to protect public health.

For manufacturers, distributors, and authorised representatives, this renewed focus on retailer compliance has several implications:

1. Retail compliance must be part of regulatory strategy

Approved products must not only meet registration and quality standards but also be distributed only through channels that understand and uphold regulatory requirements.

2. Partnerships with retailers can strengthen market surveillance

Collaboration with supermarkets and retail chains enhances reporting and early detection of unauthorised or unsafe products.

3. Education and training become business-critical

Regulatory authorities expect not only manufacturers and importers but also retail partners to be aware of compliance expectations. Ongoing training and engagement are essential to maintain a safe marketplace.

A Broader Push Toward Regulatory Maturity

This initiative is part of a broader trend in Nigeria’s regulatory landscape. Earlier in 2025, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control successfully maintained its WHO Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status for regulating medicines and vaccines, recognising a stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory framework.

NAFDAC’s sustained regulatory performance and its proactive outreach to retail channels underscore Nigeria’s continued commitment to elevating regulatory standards, enhancing compliance, and safeguarding public health.

Conclusion

NAFDAC’s workshop and call for supermarkets to sell only approved, regulated products represents a practical enforcement and partnership approach to strengthening market compliance in Nigeria. By engaging retailers directly, the agency is extending its regulatory reach and building shared responsibility for consumer safety.

For regulatory affairs professionals, manufacturers, and supply chain stakeholders, this development highlights the importance of market-wide regulatory awareness and reinforces the need to align distribution strategies with compliance objectives in order to protect patients and consumers in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Sources:

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) — regulatory workshop urging supermarkets to sell safe, approved products (December 2025).