NAFDAC Blames Local Chinese Syndicates For Surge In Fake Goods

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has linked the proliferation of fake, adulterated, and harmful consumer products across Nigeria to Chinese syndicates operating within the country.

Speaking on the development, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, revealed that recent intelligence uncovered a shift in operations, with Chinese counterfeiters establishing local manufacturing plants and logistics channels inside Nigeria.

“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 stated.

He added that the regulatory agency has commenced the systematic closure of illegal logistics facilities operated by foreign nationals involved in the network.

The agency’s findings follow public outrage over the circulation of dangerous and substandard consumer goods, including adulterated toothpastes, contaminated bottled water, fake cosmetics, and unwholesome dairy products.

Addressing the enforcement efforts, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, noted that the agency has confiscated and destroyed substandard regulated products valued at over ₦1.5 trillion in coordinated operations across Lagos and the South-East regions.

NAFDAC further disclosed that heightened enforcement between June 2025 and June 2026 yielded 64 court convictions against counterfeiters, the highest recorded number in the agency’s history, including a five-year prison sentence handed to an operator of an illegal beverage laboratory in December.

The agency confirmed that legal proceedings are currently underway in federal courts against several individuals arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Anambra states for importing and distributing fake oral care products.