The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blamed the growing circulation of counterfeit, adulterated and unsafe consumer products in Nigeria on Chinese-led syndicates operating within the country.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, said intelligence gathered by the agency showed that counterfeiters were increasingly moving their operations from importing fake goods to producing and distributing them locally.

He said the syndicates identify popular products in the Nigerian market, send samples to China for replication and then distribute the counterfeit versions through logistics companies allegedly controlled by the networks.

“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us. They identify moving products, send samples to China, and distribute them locally through logistics companies they own,” Iluyomade said.

According to him, NAFDAC has begun shutting down illegal logistics facilities allegedly linked to the networks as part of efforts to disrupt their operations.

The warning comes amid concerns over the circulation of substandard and unsafe consumer goods, including counterfeit cosmetics, adulterated toothpaste, contaminated bottled water and unsafe dairy products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said recent enforcement operations in Lagos and the South-East resulted in the seizure and destruction of fake and substandard products valued at more than N1.5 trillion.

Adeyeye also said the agency secured 64 convictions against counterfeiters between June 2025 and June 2026, describing it as the highest number recorded in NAFDAC’s history.

The agency said several suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Anambra states over the alleged importation and distribution of counterfeit oral-care products are currently facing prosecution before federal courts.