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

NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, told The PUNCH in Lagos that some Chinese counterfeiters who previously operated from outside Nigeria have now established production facilities and distribution networks within the country.

According to Iluyomade, the development has made it easier for counterfeit products to be produced, imported and distributed to Nigerian consumers.

He said some of the counterfeiters identify products in demand in Nigeria, arrange for them to be replicated in China and then use logistics channels to distribute the fake goods locally.

Iluyomade also alleged that some of the logistics companies involved are owned by Chinese counterfeiters. He said NAFDAC had been shutting down companies found to be involved in the distribution of fake products.

The agency’s disclosure comes amid growing concern over counterfeit and substandard goods, including reports involving toothpaste, creams, bottled water and yoghurt drinks.

NAFDAC said it had received complaints about counterfeit versions of popular toothpaste brands, including Oral-B and Colgate.

Iluyomade said the agency had made arrests and seizures in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Onitsha, adding that two people were being prosecuted for allegedly importing fake toothpaste.

The scale of the counterfeit trade has also been reflected in NAFDAC’s enforcement activities. Director-General Prof Mojisola Adeyeye said the agency destroyed regulated products worth more than ₦1.5tn in a coordinated operation across Lagos and the South-East between February and March 2025.

Since 2023, NAFDAC has destroyed or seized more than ₦1.54tn worth of fake and substandard products nationwide, according to the agency.

Iluyomade said enforcement efforts had also resulted in a record 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026, the highest number recorded by NAFDAC in its history.

He cited a December conviction in which a laboratory involved in counterfeiting drinks received a five-year prison sentence after being convicted on all eight charges brought against it.

The latest revelations have intensified concerns about the impact of counterfeit goods on consumers, legitimate manufacturers and the wider Nigerian economy.