Evaluation of Regulatory Compliance of Imported Food Products at Tincan Island Port, Lagos State

Nigeria's import of processed and semi-processed food products has grown significantly in recent years, placing increased demands on port-level food safety inspection and regulatory enforcement. Tincan Island Port in Lagos State, one of Nigeria's busiest import terminals, handles a substantial proportion of food imports including cereals, canned products, beverages, and dairy goods. This study evaluated the regulatory compliance status of imported food products at Tincan Island Port based on a review of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control pre-shipment inspection records, port health inspection reports, and laboratory analysis results over a twenty-four-month period from January 2022 to December 2023. Compliance parameters assessed included registration status, labelling accuracy, shelf life validity, microbiological safety, and permitted additive use. Results showed that 21.4 percent of shipments reviewed had recordable compliance deficiencies. Common violations included absent or fraudulent registration documents, expired products relabelled with falsified dates, and prohibited food dye use in confectionery items. Microbiological non-compliance was highest among dairy powder and canned fish categories. The data revealed a downward trend in non-compliance following enhanced screening protocols introduced in early 2023. The study recommends risk-based inspection allocation, mandatory electronic pre-notification of food import shipments, and strengthened inter-agency data sharing between National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Nigeria Customs Service. Keywords: food import, regulatory compliance, port inspection, NAFDAC, Lagos.