By Eshioromeh Sebastian
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over what it described as a dangerous evolution in the counterfeit goods trade.
The agency disclosed that Chinese syndicates are no longer just importing fake products but are now setting up manufacturing plants and logistics networks on Nigerian soil.
Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s director of investigation and enforcement, disclosed this development during a briefing in Lagos, stating that recent intelligence reveals a complete overhaul in the operational strategy of foreign counterfeiters.
“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us,” Iluyomade said.
According to the NAFDAC director, these syndicates identify fast-moving consumer products in the Nigerian market, send samples to China for replication, and then manufacture and distribute the fakes locally through logistics companies they own and operate.
The agency has already begun systematically shutting down illegal logistics facilities operated by foreign nationals believed to be at the heart of the network, Iluyomade added.
The development comes amid mounting public concern over the proliferation of dangerous and substandard consumer products across the country.
Adulterated toothpaste, contaminated bottled water, fake cosmetics, and unwholesome dairy products have all been flagged by the agency in recent months.
Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, provided further details on the agency’s enforcement efforts, revealing that regulated products worth more than N1.5 trillion have been confiscated and destroyed during coordinated operations in Lagos and the south-east.
Between June 2025 and June 2026, the agency secured 64 convictions of counterfeiters, the highest number ever recorded by NAFDAC in a single year.
Among those convicted was the operator of an illegal beverage laboratory who received a five-year prison sentence in December 2025.
NAFDAC also confirmed that legal proceedings are currently ongoing in federal courts against several suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Anambra states over the importation and distribution of fake oral-care products.
The agency has vowed to intensify its crackdown on counterfeiters, warning that the fight against substandard products is now more critical than ever, given that foreign syndicates have embedded themselves within Nigeria’s manufacturing and logistics sectors.
Adeyeye urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any suspicious manufacturing or distribution activities to NAFDAC offices nationwide, stressing that the health and safety of millions of consumers are at stake.
“We are dealing with sophisticated criminal networks that have no regard for human life. This is a fight for the soul of our nation’s health security,” she said.
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