NAFDAC and the challenge of miracle products and claims, By Odoh Diego Okenyodo

Nigerian pastor Jeremiah Omoto and Director General of NAFDAC Mojisola Adeyeye

NAFDAC’s investigation into Pastor Jeremiah Fufeyin’s miracle water and soap may expose the limitations of the agency’s mandate when it comes to faith-based claims. While it is essential to regulate products that could harm public health, the agency must tread carefully in addressing the faith-based dimensions of this case. Ultimately, protecting citizens from fraudulent or unsafe products requires a broader collaboration between government agencies, religious organisations, and public health advocates.

The recent announcement by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) that it is investigating Pastor Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin’s “miracle” water and soap has generated widespread attention. Prophet Fufeyin, leader of Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries in Delta State, has been promoting these products, claiming they can heal barrenness and guarantee women will bear twins. While the public has long been exposed to such miracle products from religious leaders, NAFDAC’s involvement raises questions about the agency’s capacity and role in such investigations. Can NAFDAC effectively probe the intersection of faith-based claims and public health, or is this a domain far beyond its mandate?

Nigeria is a deeply religious country, and many citizens hold strong beliefs in divine intervention and miraculous healing. This is a context where faith-based organisations and pastors have long operated, promising cures for ailments that medicine struggles to treat. Or Nigeria’s medical institutions are ill-equipped to treat. Pastor Fufeyin’s claims about his miracle water and soap fall squarely into this domain. One remembers the late Prophet TB Joshua too. These products are not just being sold; they come with guarantees of supernatural outcomes. And herein lies the challenge for NAFDAC: Is it equipped to evaluate and regulate products whose primary appeal is rooted in belief rather than scientific evidence?

The agency’s core mandate is to protect public health by ensuring the safety and efficacy of food, drugs, and cosmetics. It does this through scientific testing, compliance with regulatory standards, and rigorous oversight. However, when it comes to religious miracles, the equation changes. Science, as we know it, doesn’t seem to be better than Nigerian health institutions in such instances; it is unable to handle miracles. Products like miracle water or soap fall into a gray area where they function both as commercial items and as instruments of faith. Investigating such products may demand more than NAFDAC’s usual toolkit of scientific assessments — it calls for navigating sensitive cultural and religious terrain.

NAFDAC, under the leadership of its Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, is being proactive in addressing such public health concerns. The agency’s decision to investigate Christ Mercyland Delivery Ministries’ products might imply a commitment to ensuring that no one is misled by false claims, even from powerful religious figures. NAFDAC’s alert stated that neither the miracle water nor soap is registered with the agency — a clear violation of its regulatory framework. But registration is only one part of the problem. And a widespread problem at that. How has the agency handled the many other similar claims?

The most troubling aspect of miracle products is the potential for exploitation. People struggling with infertility, chronic illness, or other life challenges may turn to such products out of desperation. When conventional medicine fails them, faith-based solutions can seem like the only remaining option. This is where NAFDAC’s role becomes crucial — not just in protecting public health but in safeguarding citizens from being deceived.

The agency is tasked with ensuring that products sold for consumption or therapeutic purposes are not harmful. However, in this case, the product’s purported efficacy is tied to belief in its divine power. Testing the contents of the water and soap will likely show no medically active ingredients capable of causing pregnancy or other miracles. Yet, many of Prophet Fufeyin’s followers would argue that the healing does not come from the ingredients themselves but from the faith invested in the product. How can NAFDAC regulate or evaluate belief? If a product does not work, does NAFDAC say it was a result of too little belief on the part of the user? Even then, if one believes a bottle of malt drink contains no impurity, but later finds a dead cockroach at the bottom of the empty bottle, is that a failure of belief? Just asking…

This dilemma is not unique to Nigeria. Around the world, regulatory agencies struggle to address products sold by faith healers and miracle workers. In some cases, governments choose not to intervene, citing freedom of religious belief (nowadays abbreviated as FORB by development experts) or lack of scientific jurisdiction over faith-based claims. However, Nigeria has a responsibility to its citizens to ensure that such products are not harming public health or preying on vulnerable people.

The most troubling aspect of miracle products is the potential for exploitation. People struggling with infertility, chronic illness, or other life challenges may turn to such products out of desperation. When conventional medicine fails them, faith-based solutions can seem like the only remaining option. This is where NAFDAC’s role becomes crucial — not just in protecting public health but in safeguarding citizens from being deceived.

Investigating and possibly banning unregistered products is one thing; addressing the broader context of why such products flourish is another. Nigeria’s regulatory bodies may need to work with religious leaders, social workers, and public health advocates to address the root causes of this problem. Public education campaigns can help people understand the limitations of miracle products and encourage them to seek medically sound alternatives. Simultaneously, religious leaders who genuinely believe in divine intervention should be urged to work within the framework of transparency and ethical practice. The country leaves too many things to chance or individual whims. It shouldn’t.

NAFDAC may not be able to investigate or regulate miracles, but it can and should ensure that those who sell them are held to the same standards as everyone else. This will help create a safer, more transparent environment for Nigerians — one where faith and science can coexist without exploitation. Right now, Nigerians await how this case will pan out.

Nevertheless, while NAFDAC can test, evaluate, and regulate physical products, it cannot and should not interfere with personal beliefs. Nigerians have the right to their faith and to believe in miracles. What NAFDAC can do, however, is ensure that these beliefs are not manipulated for profit. The agency’s investigation into the claims around miracle water and soap may reveal that, at best, these products are harmless placebos, and at worst, they exploit vulnerable individuals.

There is also a need for stronger laws around the advertisement of miracle products, especially those that make unverifiable medical claims. And, as most of such religious bodies embrace televangelism, pronouncements about efficacy of such products should fall within the realm of broadcasting and advertising. Other countries have already taken steps in this direction. Some countries have imposed heavy fines on companies making unsubstantiated health claims, regardless of their religious affiliations. Nigeria could benefit from adopting similar measures that would hold faith-based organisations accountable for the products they sell, without infringing on their freedom to practice religion.

NAFDAC’s investigation into Pastor Jeremiah Fufeyin’s miracle water and soap may expose the limitations of the agency’s mandate when it comes to faith-based claims. While it is essential to regulate products that could harm public health, the agency must tread carefully in addressing the faith-based dimensions of this case. Ultimately, protecting citizens from fraudulent or unsafe products requires a broader collaboration between government agencies, religious organisations, and public health advocates.

NAFDAC may not be able to investigate or regulate miracles, but it can and should ensure that those who sell them are held to the same standards as everyone else. This will help create a safer, more transparent environment for Nigerians — one where faith and science can coexist without exploitation. Right now, Nigerians await how this case will pan out.

Diego Okenyodo is an Abuja-based development communication practitioner and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy.