Counterfeit crisis: NAFDAC blames Chinese dealers amid backlash

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has identified Chinese dealers as the source of the surge in counterfeit goods in Nigeria, according to recent investigations. NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, revealed that Chinese counterfeiters have established plants and logistics channels within the country, bypassing the need to import products from China.

This development has exacerbated the issue of adulterated, harmful, and unwholesome products circulating in the Nigerian market. The economic impact of these fake goods has been significant, with NAFDAC destroying regulated products worth over N1.5tn in a single coordinated operation between February and March 2025. The agency has also received numerous complaints from the public regarding counterfeit toothpaste, leading to arrests and seizures.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.