Ruth Kadiri warns fake food, medicines and other products threaten lives, urging stricter inspections and swift punishment.
Nigerian actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri has called for stricter inspections and swift punishment for those involved in the production and sale of fake products in Nigeria, warning that the practice threatens human life.
Kadiri made the call in a video message to Nigerians, where she raised concerns about fake food, drinks, medicines, cosmetics and household products. She also urged consumers to check expiry dates and NAFDAC numbers before purchasing products.
The actress said people often buy products believing they are safe, only to discover that they may be poorly produced, contaminated or harmful.
“This is not just a business problem, it’s a threat to human life,” she said.
Kadiri also shared a personal experience involving garlic, saying she became concerned after buying and blending it, only to find that it had changed colour.
“I bought garlic, blended it, went upstairs and came back, my garlic had turned green,” she said.
She further expressed concern about the safety of products consumed by children, saying she is afraid of buying already packaged drinks for her children because of uncertainty about their contents.
Kadiri called on Nigerians who know where fake products are created or sold to speak up, stressing that reporting such activities could help prevent serious health consequences.
“You might be saving a child from kidney failure, you might be saving a child from heart failure, and you may be saving a family from losing the life of their benefactor,” she said.
She also advised parents and guardians to pay attention to expiry dates and NAFDAC numbers when purchasing products.
“Lots and lots of people are sick and are not getting better because the cost of fake product, the cost of fake medicine is much more than we can ever ask or think,” Kadiri said.
The actress called for stricter inspections of manufacturing and product companies, while urging authorities to ensure that those found wanting are punished swiftly and justly.
She also appealed to officials responsible for inspections not to accept bribes, warning that compromised oversight could expose consumers, including their own families, to unsafe products.
“If you deal on fake products, you rest assured that you will be caught and you’ll be treated like a criminal, in fact, like a hired killer that you are,” she said.
Kadiri concluded by urging Nigerians to join efforts to tackle the circulation of fake products, saying, “Let us all put our voices together and see how we can fight this out of our country.”