NAFDAC: Packaged Zobo, Tigernut Drinks Must Be Registered

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has insisted that every locally produced packaged and labelled beverage, including popular zobo and tigernut drinks, must be registered with the agency before it can be sold in Nigeria.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, NAFDAC’s Resident Media and Communication Consultant, Sayo Akintola, made it clear that no packaged food product is exempt. Samples must first pass laboratory testing and safety assessments to confirm they are fit for human consumption.

“All packaged food products are required to have NAFDAC certify their safety for human consumption. Samples of your products must undergo NAFDAC laboratory testing to ensure that what you claim is food is not poison in disguise. It’s the responsibility of the Agency to safeguard the health of the Nation,” Akintola said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He stressed that the rule applies to businesses of every size — micro, small or large — involved in manufacturing, importing, distributing or selling any product under NAFDAC’s regulatory categories. These include food, cosmetics, supplements, pharmaceuticals, packaged water and medical devices.

Between a finished product and legal sale in Nigeria, he noted, stands one non-negotiable requirement: a valid NAFDAC registration number. Operators who skip the process risk having their entire stock seized, production facilities shut down and prosecution under federal law. Conversely, the registration number becomes a powerful marketing asset that signals to distributors, retailers and consumers that the product is certified safe, genuine and legal.

The latest clarification follows a viral video that circulated in late October showing police officers questioning a woman selling bottled zobo drinks and demanding to see a NAFDAC registration number and proper labelling. The incident sparked widespread debate about the agency’s reach over traditional local beverages.

NAFDAC has previously drawn a clear distinction: ordinary zobo or similar drinks sold in plain containers without commercial packaging, sealing or labelling fall outside its product-registration requirements. Once the same drink is packaged, sealed and labelled for commercial distribution, however, it becomes a regulated product that must be registered.

Zobo, made from dried hibiscus leaves, and tigernut drinks are staples across Nigeria, sold by roadside vendors, market traders and growing numbers of small-scale commercial producers. The agency’s position underscores that traditional preparation methods do not exempt a product from food-safety standards once it enters the formal packaged market.

Producers are advised to begin the registration process through NAFDAC’s online portal and to ensure their premises, labels and products meet the agency’s requirements before placing goods on the market.