NAFDAC: Chinese Dealers Counterfeit Goods Nigeria Now Made Locally

• NAFDAC reports that Chinese counterfeiters are now operating within Nigeria, establishing local production and logistics networks for fake goods.
• The agency has identified that these foreign operators often own the logistics companies used to distribute counterfeit products.
• NAFDAC has intensified enforcement, shutting down logistics firms, making numerous arrests, and prosecuting individuals for importing fake items like toothpaste.
• Between June 2025 and June 2026, NAFDAC achieved a record 64 convictions, including a five-year imprisonment sentence for a lab counterfeiting drinks.
• The proliferation of fake goods, valued at over N1.54 trillion destroyed or seized since 2023, is severely damaging Nigeria's economy and public health.

The proliferation of fake goods in Nigeria carries severe and far-reaching consequences, extending beyond immediate consumer harm to inflict substantial damage on the nation's economy and public health.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has identified a significant and concerning shift in the landscape of counterfeit products across Nigeria. Recent investigations reveal that Chinese counterfeiters, who historically operated from abroad, have now established manufacturing facilities and intricate logistics networks directly within the country. This internal presence is exacerbating the proliferation of fake, harmful, and unwholesome goods, impacting their production, distribution, and sale nationwide.

Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC's Director of Investigation and Enforcement, highlighted this "new trend," explaining that these foreign operators no longer need to import fake items from China. Instead, they identify popular products within Nigeria, send samples back to their home country for replication, and then manage the distribution of these counterfeit versions locally. A critical discovery by NAFDAC indicates that these Chinese counterfeiters often own the logistics companies responsible for transporting these illicit products, effectively controlling the entire supply chain from production to market.

This alarming development has prompted widespread concern among various stakeholders. Manufacturers, medical experts, and economists have collectively warned about the surge in substandard and counterfeit items. Social media platforms have also seen a "fever pitch" of online discourse, with influencers like Scott Iguma and Aproko Doctor raising public awareness. Specific examples of fake products circulating include counterfeit toothpastes, creams, contaminated bottled water, and adulterated yoghurt drinks, with NAFDAC confirming complaints regarding popular brands like Oral B and Colgate.

In response to the escalating crisis, NAFDAC has intensified its enforcement efforts, targeting both the counterfeiters and their logistical infrastructure. The agency has commenced shutting down the logistics companies identified as being owned by these foreign operators. Intelligence reports concerning fake toothpastes have led to extensive operations, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures across multiple states, including Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Onitsha in Anambra State.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is actively prosecuting offenders, demonstrating a firm stance against those involved in the illicit trade. Currently, two individuals are facing legal action in court for their alleged roles in importing counterfeit toothpaste brands. Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, affirmed the agency's commitment to "decimating" falsified, substandard, and unregistered products, citing recent successful enforcement campaigns, such as the one conducted in the Upper Iweka drug market in Onitsha.

NAFDAC's proactive approach has yielded significant results in its legal battles against counterfeiters. Director Iluyomade reported substantial progress in prosecuting offenders, noting a historic achievement of 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026—the highest number in the agency's history. This success includes a specific case in December where a judge sentenced an individual associated with a laboratory counterfeiting drinks to five years imprisonment, convicting them on all eight charges brought against them.

The proliferation of fake goods in Nigeria carries severe and far-reaching consequences, extending beyond immediate consumer harm to inflict substantial damage on the nation's economy and public health. The surge in counterfeit and substandard products is actively undermining legitimate businesses, leading to their collapse and hindering economic growth. Economists and industry leaders have underscored how this illicit trade stunts the overall economic development of the country.

The sheer scale of the problem is evident in NAFDAC's destruction exercises. Between February and March 2025, the agency conducted a single coordinated operation across Lagos and the South-East, destroying regulated products valued at over N1.5 trillion. This forms part of a broader, ongoing crackdown that has seen NAFDAC destroy or seize fake and substandard goods worth more than N1.54 trillion nationwide since 2023. These figures highlight the immense financial value lost to counterfeiting and the significant resources required for regulatory intervention.

Beyond the economic toll, the presence of adulterated and harmful products poses a direct threat to public health, with medical experts warning that the trend is "killing consumers." The widespread availability of fake items, from contaminated bottled water to un wholesome food products, underscores the critical danger to the population. NAFDAC's aggressive enforcement and the high number of convictions reflect the agency's determination to combat this pervasive issue, which impacts both the commercial integrity and the well-being of Nigerian citizens.

Compliance officers and legal counsel for businesses involved in manufacturing, import, distribution, or retail in Nigeria must enhance due diligence on their supply chains, particularly concerning international partners and logistics providers, to mitigate exposure to counterfeit products. NAFDAC's aggressive enforcement, including prosecutions and convictions of local operators, signals a heightened regulatory risk and potential for severe penalties for non-compliance.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH