NAFDAC Warns Against Herbal Drinks Sold at Motor Parks

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned Nigerians against consuming herbal drinks and medicines sold at motor parks, roadside locations and other informal outlets.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said some of the herbal products being sold in such locations could pose serious health risks and potentially cause organ damage or failure.

Adeyeye gave the warning in response to concerns over the increasing proliferation and unregulated sale of herbal drinks and medicines across the country.

The warning comes amid an outbreak of illnesses and deaths linked to locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in Ondo State.

NAFDAC said 48 people had died out of 182 reported cases in the state as of September 17, 2026.

The NAFDAC Director-General cautioned Nigerians against assuming that herbal products are safe simply because they are traditional, popular or readily available.

She specifically warned against herbal medicines and concoctions displayed or hawked in cars, wheelbarrows and around motor parks, noting that medicines must be produced, stored and sold under appropriate conditions to maintain their quality and safety.

Adeyeye also warned against alcoholic herbal mixtures prepared outside regulated manufacturing environments, saying such products could contain undisclosed substances that may be harmful to consumers.

She urged members of the public to avoid herbal products without verifiable NAFDAC registration numbers, proper labels, ingredient lists, batch numbers and expiry dates.

According to her, products sold in reused bottles, unlabelled containers or improvised sachets should not be consumed.

She advised consumers to verify the registration status of packaged herbal products through NAFDAC’s public database before purchasing or using them.

The agency also warned that the popularity or widespread availability of a product does not mean that it has been approved for consumption.

NAFDAC cautioned Nigerians against relying solely on testimonials from vendors or traditional users as evidence that a herbal product is safe or effective.

Adeyeye said herbal products could cause adverse reactions and may also interact dangerously with conventional medicines.

She further warned against products promoted on social media with exaggerated claims of curing or treating various illnesses.

According to her, poor manufacturing practices could introduce chemical and microbial contaminants into herbal preparations, posing additional risks to consumers.

NAFDAC advised members of the public to report suspicious herbal products and unhygienic production facilities to the agency instead of confronting suspected producers or vendors themselves.

The agency urged consumers to provide useful information such as product names, locations and vendor details and, where it is safe to do so, photographs to assist investigations.

Adeyeye said suspected falsified or unregistered products could also be submitted to NAFDAC with supporting evidence for appropriate regulatory action.

She disclosed that NAFDAC’s call centre, launched on March 28, 2026, is available for complaints through 0800-1-623322, while enquiries can be made through 0700-1-623322.

On measures being taken following the Ondo State incident, Adeyeye said NAFDAC regularly conducts market surveillance and mop-up operations to remove unsafe products from circulation.

She added that the agency maintains a public database of registered products and conducts public enlightenment campaigns and issues safety alerts to warn Nigerians about potentially harmful products.

The NAFDAC chief urged consumers to remain vigilant and report unregistered or suspected unsafe herbal products to the agency before they cause harm.

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