NAFDAC Seals Warehouse in Niger State Over Sale of Banned monosodium glutamate
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed a warehouse in Suleja, Niger State, over the illegal bulk distribution of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food additive banned from large-scale importation due to health concerns.
The enforcement operation, carried out by NAFDAC’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate, was ordered by the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
The warehouse, owned by a trader identified as Alhaji Ahmed, was found to be selling large quantities of MSG, popularly known in local markets as “White Maggi,” to unregulated vendors without the necessary approvals.
According to Kenneth Azikiwe, NAFDAC’s FCT Director, the sale of MSG in bulk to unauthorized vendors violates existing regulations aimed at protecting public health.
“Though MSG is permitted in regulated quantities for industrial food processing, the illegal bulk sale and distribution of this additive to informal markets pose serious health risks,” Azikiwe stated.
NAFDAC officials explained that the additive is often repackaged by informal traders—frequently mixed with table salt—and sold to consumers without proper labeling or quality assurance.
The agency warned that this practice not only risks contamination but also enables the use of MSG to mask spoilage in perishable foods such as meat and fish.
Health experts have raised concerns that excessive consumption of MSG can result in long-term damage to vital organs, including the liver and kidneys, and may contribute to chronic illnesses such as hypertension and obesity.
In addition to the warehouse shutdown, NAFDAC also conducted raids at the Ibrahim Babangida International Market in Suleja, where they confiscated a range of unregistered and counterfeit products.
Among the seized items were banned foreign spaghetti brands such as Doga and Roca, and fake toothpaste brands mimicking popular products like Colgate—labeled under names such as Bamboo Charcoal, Crogate, and Cloguide.
Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, an intelligence and enforcement officer at NAFDAC, disclosed that the total estimated value of the confiscated goods stood at ₦47.5 million.
“These products were not only unapproved but also potentially dangerous to public health,” Godiya said. “Many were being openly sold without NAFDAC numbers, and some were counterfeits designed to deceive unsuspecting consumers.”
The enforcement action follows a recent investigative report by TheCable, which exposed the widespread availability of unregulated MSG in markets across northern Nigeria, including Kano and Katsina. The report showed that traders were repackaging the additive in transparent nylons, often without knowledge of its health implications.
NAFDAC has since issued a public advisory warning consumers to avoid purchasing food additives from unverified sources and to always check for official NAFDAC registration numbers on product labels.
“Our mandate is to protect the health of Nigerians. We will continue to monitor and crack down on the sale of unregistered and harmful products across the country,” Prof. Adeyeye affirmed.
NAFDAC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that only safe and properly regulated food items remain available to the public, as part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on counterfeit and hazardous products.
