Abstract

Food fraud is an emerging concern in Nigeria with implications for food security, public health, and economic stability. This qualitative study aims to investigate the perspectives from three key stakeholder groups: food supply chain actors, healthcare professionals, and regulatory officials on drivers of food fraud, barriers to effective control, and strategies for prevention. Face-to-face or online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 participants ranging from stakeholders working in the food supply chain (n = 13), healthcare professionals (n = 9); and regulatory officials including National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Customs Service and Consumers Protection Council (n = 14). Interviews were conducted between June 2023 and January 2024. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Five interrelated themes were identified: (i) food fraud as deliberate deception in the food system; (ii) structural and economic drivers of food fraud; (iii) food fraud as a public health and socio-economic threat; (iv) weak institutional capacity undermining food fraud control; and (v) coordinated strategies for prevention. Key drivers included inflation, high raw material and production costs, economic hardship, and financial gain. Across all stakeholder groups, weak institutional capacity was identified as a major barrier to effective control, including shortages of regulatory staff, equipment, funding, vehicles, and security concerns. Participants also highlighted corruption as a factor that may further weaken enforcement. This is the first study exploring in-depth perceptions of food fraud, drivers, barriers for effective control and mitigating strategies among three key stakeholders including those involved in food supply chain, healthcare and regulatory control in Nigeria.