Counterfeit crisis: NAFDAC blames Chinese dealers amid backlash

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has linked Chinese counterfeiters operating within Nigeria to the surge in fake and adulterated goods across the country. NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, revealed that Chinese counterfeiters, who previously relied on external sources for their operations, have established production and distribution channels within Nigeria.

Iluyomade explained that these counterfeiters identify the products they intend to distribute, send them back to China for production, and then distribute the finished goods back into the Nigerian market without any need for international travel. This new trend has significantly worsened the situation, making it more challenging to combat the production, distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods.

NAFDAC has been actively shutting down logistics companies linked to these counterfeiters. The agency's disclosures have sparked backlash from manufacturers, medical experts, and economists, who have expressed concerns over the surge in counterfeit products. These individuals warn that the trend is severely harming legitimate businesses, posing health risks to consumers, and hindering economic growth.

NAFDAC's efforts to combat the counterfeit crisis have been substantial, with the agency destroying regulated products worth over N1.5tn in a single coordinated operation in Lagos and the South-East between February and March 2025. This was part of a broader crackdown that has resulted in the destruction or seizure of more than N1.54tn worth of fake and substandard goods nationwide since 2023.

The rising concern over the proliferation of counterfeit goods has reached a fever pitch on social media platforms. Influencers and health professionals have raised alarm over the presence of fake toothpastes, creams, contaminated bottled water, and adulterated yoghurt drinks. NAFDAC has received numerous complaints through its official channels about counterfeit toothpaste, particularly Oral B and Colgate.

The agency has made several arrests and seizures, including in Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Onitsha states. Two individuals have been prosecuted in court for importing fake toothpaste brands. NAFDAC DG Adeyeye emphasized the agency's commitment to decimating counterfeited, falsified, substandard, and unregistered products. She highlighted the agency's recent enforcement campaign in the Upper Iweka drug market in Onitsha and announced that between June 2025 and June 2026, NAFDAC achieved a record of 64 convictions, the highest in its history.