The counterfeit goods business in Nigeria has taken a worrying twist, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) alleging that some Chinese counterfeiters have relocated their operations to the country.
The development has made the fight against fake and potentially harmful products more difficult, as some of those involved are allegedly producing, importing and distributing counterfeit goods from within Nigeria.
NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this in Lagos while speaking with journalists on Monday.
Iluyomade said counterfeiters no longer necessarily have to travel to China to source fake versions of popular products, alleging that some Chinese operators now identify products in demand locally, arrange for their imitation and subsequently distribute them through established networks in Nigeria.
He further alleged that some of the counterfeiters operate logistics companies through which fake products are moved around the country.
According to the agency, NAFDAC has consequently intensified its crackdown on such logistics outfits, with some already shut down.
The revelation comes as public concern over counterfeit and substandard products continues to grow, particularly following a wave of social media reports about allegedly fake toothpaste, cosmetics, bottled water and yoghurt products.
NAFDAC also confirmed that it had received complaints concerning suspected fake Oral-B and Colgate toothpaste.
Iluyomade said the agency had intelligence on the alleged counterfeit toothpaste operation and had carried out arrests and seizures in Kano, Sokoto, Delta State and Onitsha, Anambra State.
He added that two suspects were being prosecuted over the alleged importation of fake toothpaste brands.
The growing counterfeit crisis has also raised concerns among manufacturers, health professionals and economists, who have warned about its potential impact on consumers, legitimate businesses and the Nigerian economy.
The financial scale of the problem is staggering.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency destroyed regulated products valued at more than N1.5 trillion during coordinated operations in Lagos and the South-East between February and March 2025.
She further disclosed that NAFDAC had seized or destroyed more than N1.54 trillion worth of counterfeit and substandard products across the country since 2023.
The agency has also stepped up enforcement at notorious markets, including the Upper Iweka drug market in Onitsha, as part of efforts to remove fake, falsified, substandard and unregistered products from circulation.
Iluyomade disclosed that NAFDAC recorded 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026, describing the figure as the highest in the agency’s history.
He cited the case of a laboratory operator involved in counterfeiting drinks, saying a judge sentenced the offender to five years in prison after conviction on eight counts.
With Nigerians increasingly turning to social media to expose suspected fake products, NAFDAC says it is relying on intelligence gathering, seizures, arrests and prosecution to disrupt the networks behind the booming counterfeit trade.
