Recent viral videos on Nigerian social media reveal a scary truth. Our markets are flooded with dangerous fake goods. Consumers are exposing everything from fake malaria drugs and toxic toothpaste to dyed palm oil and painted fruits. The sheer amount of these fake products is now a national emergency.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is tasked with fighting this battle. However, the current crisis calls for a much stronger approach. To win back public trust and save lives, NAFDAC must take these five urgent steps.

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1. Clean Up the Agency

The fight against fake goods will fail if the agency itself is compromised. Many Nigerians suspect that some regulatory officials care more about bribes than public health. NAFDAC needs a deep internal cleanup. It must find and fire any corrupt workers. To win back public trust, the agency must return to the strict, no-nonsense culture of the late Dora Akunyili.

2. Jail the Criminals

For a long time, the main punishment for making fake goods has been seizing and destroying the items. This simply treats a deadly crime like a bad business day. Counterfeiting life-saving drugs and food is an attack on public health. NAFDAC must work with the courts to put these criminals in prison without bail. When offenders actually go to jail, it will scare others away from the trade.

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3. Use Better Tracking Tech

Today’s criminals are very good at copying packaging. Just looking at a product is no longer enough to tell if it is real. NAFDAC needs to force companies to use advanced digital tracking. Expanding scratch-off codes and mobile barcode scanners will let buyers check products on their phones before using them. NAFDAC must also expand its digital watch to crack down on online sellers who push fake goods.

4. Work Closely with Local Communities

The war on fake products cannot be won from big offices in Abuja and Lagos alone. Criminals often hide their factories in rural areas where there are fewer checks. NAFDAC must spread out its teams. The agency should partner with local governments, community leaders, and market groups. By building local task forces, NAFDAC can stop fake goods at the source before they reach the big cities.

5. Partner with Border Security

Criminals slip through the cracks when government agencies do not work together. Many fake goods, like toxic baby milk and bad cosmetics, are smuggled through our borders and seaports. NAFDAC must share information instantly with the Nigeria Customs Service, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and the police. Joint checks at the ports are the only way to stop these deadly shipments from entering Nigeria.