In a dramatic shift exposing the evolving tactics of organized economic crime, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) revealed on Monday, September 7, 2026, that Chinese counterfeiters are no longer just exporting fake goods into Nigeria, they have relocated inside the country to manufacture, package, and distribute unwholesome products directly from local neighborhoods.
​Speaking during an emergency press briefing at NAFDAC’s operational headquarters in Lagos, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Dr. Martins Iluyomade explained that foreign illicit syndicates have dismantled traditional supply chains to set up localized hubs.
​”Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it,” Dr. Iluyomade stated. “Now, they are here with us. They identify the fast-moving products, coordinate manufacturing through their networks, and distribute them locally through Chinese-owned logistics companies without leaving Nigeria.”
​The revelation comes amid rising public outrage sparked by medical professionals and social media campaigns detailing a spike in fake pharmaceuticals, contaminated bottled water, adulterated palm oil, and counterfeit oral hygiene products.
​Addressing the press alongside Dr. Iluyomade, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye urged citizens to provide actionable intelligence rather than relying solely on viral claims.
“Fakers are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighborhoods, and business premises,” Adeyeye emphasized, revealing that the agency’s 24-hour call center (0800-1-NAFDAC) processed 225 formal complaints in August 2026 alone.
NAFDAC has actively targeted and decommissioned several foreign-owned logistics providers found to be serving as the distribution backbone for illicit syndicates.
Following widespread complaints regarding counterfeit Oral-B and Colgate products, NAFDAC executed raids resulting in major seizures across Kano, Sokoto, Delta, and Anambra states, with two key importers currently facing federal prosecution.
Over the past year, NAFDAC confiscated and destroyed over ₦1.5 trillion worth of fake goods intercepted at key commercial centers, including Idumota Market (Lagos), Ariaria Market (Aba), and Onitsha Upper Iweka Market.
Recent operations include a February 2026 raid at the Lagos Trade Fair Market, where 10 million doses of fake malaria medication worth ₦3 billion were uncovered inside a warehouse disguised as an auto spare-parts depot and a Nasarawa State raid that impounded 1,600 bags of fake packaged rice valued at ₦5 billion.
Between June 2025 and June 2026, NAFDAC secured 64 convictions, the highest single-year total in its history, with sentences ranging from one to seven years without the option of a fine, including a 5-year sentence handed down to an illicit beverage laboratory operator.
​Prof. Adeyeye reiterated that while NAFDAC maintains 47,830 facilities under active surveillance across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, eliminating the threat requires sustained cooperation between law enforcement, local state authorities, and everyday citizens.
