By Aderogba George
Abuja – National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised
Nigerians to do a thorough check on products and items from sellers before they buy, especially from roadside hawkers.
The agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Jimoh Abubakar, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
on Friday in Abuja, following observations by some Abuja residents that some products being sold, especially by hawkers on
the roadside, had expired dates.
Abubakar, therefore, urged customers to scrutinise products before buying, noting that consumers should check the expiry
date, date of manufacture, as well as the packaging and freshness of items, especially edible goods.
On the allegation by some residents that some big supermarkets sell expired products at slashed prices, the NAFDAC official
said “the truth is very far from that as NAFDAC is yet to receive any complaint about such act.”
The director said that price cuts during yuletide was a marketing strategy.
According to him, it is the practice in some developed countries to slash prices during Christmas and New Year celebrations
during sales to attract patronage.
He explained that “I know Nigeria is also trying to emulate such countries, as some companies and supermarkets
sell some of their products at giveaway prices to clear stocks and create space for new
goods for the year.
“The give-away prices could be marketing strategy and not because the products have expired.”
He reiterated NAFDAC’s determination to safeguard the health of Nigerians through quality and healthy products.
He added that the focus of NAFDAC on some of these products were from the manufacturing level, and that there was
no way the agency could do the work alone without the input of the public.
“Our focus is on the factory itself. Over the years, we have given compliance directives to some of these companies and
corrective measures laid out for some of them.
“Last year, a company was shut because of a product and was reopened only after it amended its mistake.
“However, we want to advise the public to always check the expiry date, NAFDAC registration number, date of manufacture before
purchasing any product.”
(NAN)
