Quality Assessment of Herbal Medicine Products at Point of Sale in Kogi State Markets: A Regulatory Compliance Study

Kogi State, located at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in North Central Nigeria, has a rich tradition of herbal medicine use across its diverse ethnic communities. With increasing commercialisation of herbal products, concerns about product quality, safety, and regulatory compliance at the point of sale have intensified. This study evaluated the quality and regulatory compliance status of fifty herbal medicine products from twenty commercial outlets in Lokoja, Kabba, and Okene. Evaluation criteria included NAFDAC registration status, labelling accuracy, heavy metal screening (lead, mercury, cadmium), total microbial count, and moisture content. Authentication of NAFDAC numbers was conducted through the agency's online verification portal. Only 40% of evaluated products had verifiable NAFDAC registration. Heavy metal analysis identified lead above WHO limits in 28% of products. Total microbial counts exceeded acceptable limits in 34% of liquid herbal products. Labelling was incomplete in 60% of products, with missing dosage instructions and contraindication warnings being most common. Products sold by itinerant vendors showed the highest rates of non-compliance. The study recommends prioritised enforcement of herbal product quality standards in Kogi State markets, including deployment of rapid quality screening tools and awareness campaigns targeted at both vendors and consumers. Keywords: herbal medicines, NAFDAC registration, heavy metals, Kogi State, regulatory compliance.