Counterfeit Crisis: NAFDAC Uncovers Chinese Networks Operating Inside Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered what it described as a growing network of Chinese syndicates operating inside Nigeria and involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit products.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, said intelligence gathered by the agency revealed a shift in the counterfeit trade, with some operators now establishing local production and logistics networks instead of relying solely on imported fake products.

According to him, the networks monitor products that sell quickly in Nigeria, send samples to China for replication and subsequently distribute the counterfeit versions locally.

“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us. They identify moving products, send samples to China, and distribute them locally through logistics companies they own,” Iluyomade said.

He said NAFDAC had responded by shutting down illegal logistics facilities allegedly connected to the networks.

The agency’s warning comes amid concerns over the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products, including adulterated toothpaste, fake cosmetics, contaminated bottled water and unsafe dairy products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that enforcement operations in Lagos and the South-East had resulted in the seizure and destruction of fake and substandard regulated products valued at more than N1.5 trillion.

She further revealed that NAFDAC secured 64 convictions against counterfeiters between June 2025 and June 2026, representing the highest number of convictions recorded in the agency’s history.

Several suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Anambra states over alleged involvement in the importation and distribution of counterfeit oral care products are also facing prosecution in federal courts, the agency said.