This Isn’t About Nigerians Reading Labels — Mary Njoku Fires Back At NAFDAC DG

Nollywood actress and producer Mary Remmy Njoku has criticised the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, over comments concerning the circulation of counterfeit and substandard food products in Nigeria.

Njoku urged the NAFDAC leadership to focus on its regulatory responsibilities and public health protection rather than attributing the problem primarily to consumers.

The controversy followed remarks by Adeyeye in which she criticised Nigerians for allegedly blaming NAFDAC whenever fake or substandard food products are found in circulation.

Adeyeye reportedly argued that many consumers do not properly read product labels and may not fully understand the agency’s statutory responsibilities.

She also clarified that NAFDAC does not regulate raw and fresh agricultural produce sold in markets, noting that such products fall under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture. According to her, NAFDAC’s regulatory responsibilities are focused on processed and semi-processed food products.

Reacting to the comments on social media, Njoku challenged the suggestion that consumers’ failure to read labels was the central issue behind the circulation of unsafe food products.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the actress argued that the issue should instead be viewed from the perspective of regulatory effectiveness, including inspection, product testing and enforcement.

“This isn’t about whether Nigerians read labels. This is about whether the regulator is regulating,” Njoku stated.

She further argued that consumers cannot simply rely on reading product labels to protect themselves from potentially harmful products if regulatory systems responsible for inspection, testing and enforcement are inadequate.

Njoku called on NAFDAC to prioritise measures that would strengthen public health protection and ensure that manufacturers and distributors comply with established safety standards.

Her comments have added to the ongoing public debate over the responsibility of regulatory agencies, manufacturers and consumers in preventing the circulation of counterfeit and substandard food products in Nigeria.