The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has explained the circumstances under which locally prepared Zobo drinks require its registration, following a confrontation between police officers and a hawker in Delta State.
The incident, which has attracted attention on social media, was captured in a viral Facebook video showing police officers questioning the seller over the absence of a NAFDAC registration number on the beverage.
In the footage, one of the officers is seen examining a bottle of Zobo and asking the hawker whether it carries the agency’s registration number.
A man who identified himself as a content creator intervened, describing the beverage as ordinary Zobo and saying he intended to share the encounter on Facebook.
One of the officers, however, maintained that the drink was expected to have a NAFDAC number, insisting that he had the right to question the seller about its regulatory status.
The exchange attracted the attention of passers-by, who gathered around the scene.
Reacting to the development, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, defended the officers, arguing that they were only carrying out their duties.
Edafe criticised the content creator for challenging the officers while they were performing their responsibilities, insisting that consumable products subject to NAFDAC regulation must meet the agency’s requirements.
However, NAFDAC offered a clarification on the matter, explaining that the registration requirement depends on how the Zobo drink is presented for sale.
The agency’s spokesperson, Christiana Obiazikwor, said freshly prepared Zobo sold in ordinary containers without packaging, sealing or labelling does not fall under NAFDAC’s regulatory jurisdiction.
She explained that the product becomes subject to the agency’s regulation when it is packaged, sealed and labelled for commercial distribution.
Obiazikwor compared the situation to cooking oil sold openly in local markets, noting that such products fall outside the agency’s regulatory scope until they are properly packaged and labelled.
Commenting specifically on the Delta incident, she maintained that the drink would require NAFDAC registration if it was packaged and labelled.
A photograph of the Zobo product circulated alongside the video showed it contained in a labelled bottle.
The clarification has highlighted the importance of packaging and labelling in determining whether locally produced beverages fall under NAFDAC’s registration requirements.
