By Felicia Udeji
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the illegal sale of unregistered condoms in Nigeria, specifically an unapproved brand called Foula Condoms.
Officials from NAFDAC’s Post-Marketing Surveillance directorate discovered Foula Condoms, sold in packs of three, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, and Zango, Katsina State. The agency noted that these products were identified during a risk-based surveillance study on registered condoms in Nigeria.
“The condom is not registered by NAFDAC for use in Nigeria, and the labelling of the product is not in English,” the agency stated. It emphasized that while condoms are an effective barrier method to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, their efficacy is dependent on quality and correct usage.
The sale of these unregistered condoms poses significant risks as the safety, quality, and effectiveness of the products cannot be guaranteed. NAFDAC warned that using poor-quality condoms may lead to leakage or breakage, undermining protection efforts against HIV and other STIs, as well as unintended pregnancies.
NAFDAC has instructed all zonal directors and state coordinators to launch surveillance operations to remove unregistered condoms from the market. It urged importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare providers, and consumers to be vigilant in ensuring all medical products are obtained from authorized suppliers and checked for authenticity.
The agency also advised the public to report any suspicious medical products or adverse events to NAFDAC via their hotline at 0800-162-3322, email at sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng, or through their E-reporting platform and Med-Safety app.