NAFDAC shuts down two supermarkets in Nigeria
The agency seizes goods worth over US$113,000 for violating labelling and registration laws.
NIGERIA – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has closed two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja’s Jabi District for breaching Nigeria’s product sale and labelling regulations.
In a statement issued and signed by the agency’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, NAFDAC said the affected outlets were sealed for selling unregistered and improperly labelled items.
According to the statement, the enforcement followed directives from the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and was executed by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in collaboration with the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines.
NAFDAC said products worth over US$113,000 were confiscated during the operation, which targeted outlets engaged in the sale of goods that violated registration and labelling standards.
The supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street, were found to be selling food products labelled only in Chinese, contravening the mandatory requirement for English translations on imported goods sold in Nigeria.
Officials reported that one of the supermarkets initially denied being in operation, but enforcement officers confirmed it was fully open and trading in unregistered products.
Supermarket sector facing setbacks
The crackdown comes as Nigeria’s retail sector faces growing instability, with several supermarket chains struggling to remain in business.
In recent months, Shoprite outlets in Ilorin and Ibadan have shut down after the retailer closed its Kano branch in 2024, adding to the list of struggling retail stores.
Customers have voiced concerns about empty shelves and low stock in several remaining Shoprite branches, suggesting ongoing supply and management challenges.
Shoprite Holdings, which sold its Nigerian operations to Persianas Group in 2021 for US$73 million, has since focused on expanding within South Africa after years of operational hurdles in Nigeria.
Retail Supermarkets Nigeria, the new operator, inherited mounting challenges, which worsened after the sharp depreciation of the Naira in 2024.
Although the currency has recently stabilised and foreign reserves rose to US$42 billion as of September 2025, the company continues to face declining sales and high operating costs.
Analysts say many businesses tend to collapse at the tail end of economic downturns when reserves and cost-cutting measures are no longer sufficient to stay afloat.
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