The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has blamed foreign crime rings for the alarming surge of fake and unsafe consumer goods in Nigeria.
Speaking on the crisis, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, revealed that intelligence directly links these counterfeit operations to Chinese syndicates based locally.
Investigators discovered that fake product networks have shifted strategy, moving from overseas shipping to establishing manufacturing and distribution bases right inside the country.
Under this new system, operators select high-demand Nigerian products, send samples back to China for mass replication, and manage local distribution themselves.
“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us,” Iluyomade stated.
He explained, “They identify moving products, send samples to China, and distribute them locally through logistics companies they own.”
In response to the threat, the agency has launched targeted raids to shut down illicit storage hubs and foreign-controlled transport facilities.
The crackdown follows rising public alarm over dangerous, substandard goods circulating in local markets, ranging from toxic cosmetics and adulterated toothpaste to contaminated bottled water and dairy items.
NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye confirmed that recent operations across Lagos and the South-East resulted in the seizure and destruction of counterfeit items valued at over ₦1.5 trillion.
Reinforcing the agency’s zero-tolerance stance, Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC secured a record-breaking 64 convictions against counterfeiters between June 2025 and June 2026, while multiple key suspects in Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Anambra currently face trial in federal courts.
