NAFDAC BLAMES CHINESE DEALERS AS COUNTERFEIT GOODS CRISIS WORSENS

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has linked Chinese counterfeiters operating in Nigeria to the growing circulation of fake and substandard products across the country.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, said recent investigations showed that some Chinese nationals involved in counterfeiting had established production and distribution networks within Nigeria.

He explained that some of the operators identify popular products in Nigeria, arrange for their imitation abroad and then distribute the counterfeit goods through local channels.

Iluyomade also said some Chinese-owned logistics companies had been used to move fake products, adding that NAFDAC had shut down some of the companies linked to such activities.

The agency’s disclosure comes amid growing concerns from manufacturers, health professionals and economists over the increasing availability of counterfeit products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that the agency had destroyed or seized more than N1.54tn worth of counterfeit and substandard products nationwide since 2023.

The agency also said it had secured 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026, the highest number recorded in its history.

NAFDAC said it would continue investigations, seizures and prosecutions to tackle the counterfeit products crisis.