NAFDAC Busts Group Behind Production Of Fake Products In Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised concerns over the activities of Chinese-led counterfeit networks allegedly operating production and distribution facilities within Nigeria.

According to Ireporter Online, the agency said counterfeit syndicates had changed their strategy from importing fake goods from China to establishing production and distribution operations locally.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this while speaking on the increasing circulation of fake and potentially dangerous consumer products across the country.

Iluyomade said intelligence gathered by the agency indicated that the syndicates target products that are in high demand in the Nigerian market. According to him, samples of such products are reportedly sent to China for replication before the counterfeit versions are brought into the local market through logistics companies allegedly controlled by the networks.

He explained that the development had made the fight against counterfeit products more challenging, as some of the operations were now being carried out within Nigeria rather than relying solely on imported fake goods.

The NAFDAC official said the agency had begun shutting down illegal logistics facilities suspected of being connected to the counterfeit networks as part of its enforcement efforts.

The warning comes amid growing concerns over the circulation of substandard and potentially unsafe consumer products, including counterfeit cosmetics, adulterated toothpaste, contaminated bottled water and unsafe dairy products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that recent enforcement operations in Lagos and parts of the South-East led to the seizure and destruction of counterfeit and substandard products estimated to be worth more than N1.5 trillion.

Adeyeye further revealed that NAFDAC secured 64 convictions against individuals involved in counterfeit-related offences between June 2025 and June 2026, describing the figure as the highest number of convictions recorded by the agency in its history.

The agency also disclosed that suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Anambra states over the alleged importation and distribution of counterfeit oral care products are currently facing prosecution before federal courts.

NAFDAC said it would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations against individuals and networks involved in the production, importation and distribution of fake and substandard products in Nigeria.