NAFDAC Links Chinese Counterfeiters to Nigeria’s Growing Fake Goods Crisis, Records 64 Convictions

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered a new dimension to Nigeria’s counterfeit goods crisis, with the agency saying some Chinese counterfeiters have established operations and logistics networks inside the country.

NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, said recent investigations showed that counterfeiters who previously operated from outside Nigeria are now setting up plants and distribution channels locally. He said the development has made it easier for fake and potentially harmful products to enter the Nigerian market.

“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, you don’t need to go. They are here (in Nigeria) with us,” Iluyomade said.

He explained that the counterfeiters identify products with strong demand in Nigeria, arrange for them to be replicated and then use established channels to distribute the fake products locally. According to him, some of the logistics companies involved are owned by Chinese nationals, prompting NAFDAC to shut down businesses linked to the distribution network.

The disclosure comes amid growing concern over counterfeit and substandard goods in Nigeria, with manufacturers, health professionals and economists warning that fake products are damaging legitimate businesses, putting consumers at risk and weakening economic growth.

The scale of the problem is reflected in NAFDAC’s enforcement operations. Director-General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye said the agency destroyed regulated products valued at more than N1.5tn in coordinated operations across Lagos and the South-East between February and March 2025. Since 2023, the agency has destroyed or seized more than N1.54tn worth of fake and substandard products nationwide.

Public concern intensified recently following reports and social media warnings about allegedly counterfeit toothpaste, creams, bottled water and yoghurt drinks. NAFDAC said it had received complaints through its official channels concerning fake versions of popular toothpaste brands, including Oral-B and Colgate.

Iluyomade said the agency had acted on intelligence regarding counterfeit toothpaste, leading to arrests and seizures in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Onitsha in Anambra State. He added that two suspects were being prosecuted for allegedly importing fake toothpaste brands.

NAFDAC has also stepped up enforcement at major commercial centres, including the Upper Iweka drug market in Onitsha, as part of its campaign against counterfeit, falsified, substandard and unregistered products. Iluyomade said the agency recorded 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026, describing the figure as the highest in NAFDAC’s history.

He cited one recent case in which a judge sentenced an operator involved in counterfeiting drinks to five years in prison after the defendant was convicted on all eight counts brought against the operation.