The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a growing network of Chinese counterfeiters operating manufacturing plants and logistics facilities in Nigeria to produce and distribute fake and substandard products locally.
NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade disclosed that the counterfeit trade has evolved from the traditional practice of importing finished fake products from China to establishing production and distribution operations within Nigeria.
According to him, intelligence gathered by the agency indicates that some foreign nationals involved in counterfeiting now identify fast-moving products in the Nigerian market, obtain samples and reproduce them locally, while using logistics companies allegedly owned or controlled by members of the network to distribute the counterfeit goods.
“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us,” Iluyomade said.
He explained that the development has made the fight against counterfeit products more complex, as illicit operators are increasingly embedding themselves within the domestic supply chain rather than relying solely on imported counterfeit goods.
Iluyomade said NAFDAC had commenced the systematic closure of illegal logistics facilities allegedly operated by foreign nationals involved in the distribution network.
The agency is also intensifying intelligence-led enforcement operations to identify manufacturing locations, storage facilities and distribution channels being used to circulate unregistered and falsified regulated products across the country.
The development comes amid heightened concerns over the circulation of potentially dangerous consumer products, including adulterated toothpaste, contaminated bottled water, counterfeit cosmetics and unwholesome dairy products.
NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency had confiscated and destroyed regulated products worth more than N1.5tn during coordinated enforcement operations carried out in Lagos and the South-East.
She said the agency’s intensified enforcement activities had also led to 64 convictions of counterfeiters between June 2025 and June 2026, representing the highest number of convictions recorded by NAFDAC within a one-year period.
One of the cases resulted in a five-year prison sentence for an operator of an illegal beverage laboratory in December, underscoring the agency’s tougher approach to operators involved in the production of unsafe and unregulated products.
NAFDAC said its enforcement activities are being supported by investigations aimed at dismantling the wider networks behind counterfeit products, rather than focusing solely on individual retailers or distributors.
The agency has also commenced or sustained legal proceedings at federal courts against several suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Anambra states over the alleged importation and distribution of counterfeit oral-care products.
The enforcement drive reflects growing efforts by Nigerian regulators to protect consumers and legitimate manufacturers from the health and economic consequences of counterfeit products.
Beyond the potential health risks posed by fake and adulterated goods, the expansion of local counterfeit manufacturing could undermine legitimate businesses, erode consumer confidence and deprive the government of revenue from compliant manufacturers and distributors.
NAFDAC’s latest actions therefore indicate a shift towards targeting the entire counterfeit supply chain, including manufacturers, warehouse operators, logistics providers and distributors involved in bringing falsified products to consumers.
The agency has continued to urge consumers and businesses to be vigilant and ensure that regulated products are sourced through legitimate channels and meet the required regulatory standards.
