.……Chinese Nationals Now Running Counterfeit Factories In Nigeria
…..Shuts Logistics Firms Used By Fake Goods Syndicates
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has raised the alarm over a new trend in Nigeria’s counterfeit trade, saying Chinese nationals suspected of producing fake goods have now established factories and logistics networks within the country.
The agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this in Lagos on Monday, stating that recent investigations showed counterfeiters who previously operated from outside Nigeria have relocated their operations.
“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, you don’t need to go. They are here with us,” Iluyomade said. “They identify the product to be faked, send it to their country, and then come here to distribute it to our people without having to travel.”
He described it as a “new trend making the fake goods situation this serious,” adding that NAFDAC discovered that “Chinese counterfeiters own the logistics companies which they use to bring in these things.” He said the agency has begun shutting down such logistics firms.
Iluyomade also confirmed receiving complaints of counterfeit toothpaste, particularly Oral B and Colgate brands.
He said NAFDAC has made arrests and seizures in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Onitsha, Anambra State, and is prosecuting two persons for importing fake toothpaste.
The agency said it secured 64 convictions between June 2025 and June 2026, the highest in its history. In December, a court sentenced owners of a counterfeit drinks lab to five years imprisonment on eight counts.
NAFDAC said the surge in fake products is killing legitimate businesses and endangering consumers.
