Lagos: The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says cosmetic products, food and beverages account for more than 50 per cent of counterfeit products seized across Nigeria.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday at a news conference marking the 2026 International Anti-Counterfeit Month, observed globally every June.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, Adeyeye said the figure was based on the volume of counterfeit cosmetics, food items and beverages confiscated during enforcement operations nationwide.
She added that the agency had also seized large quantities of fake and substandard medicines containing incorrect ingredients, inadequate active pharmaceutical substances, or no active ingredients at all.
“Cosmetics account for the most counterfeited products in Nigeria, followed by food and beverages, which together make up more than 50 per cent of our seizures,” she said.
“Pharmaceutical products also constitute a significant proportion of NAFDAC’s enforcement activities.”
The agency expressed concern over the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by counterfeiters to flood Nigerian markets with fake and substandard products, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to public health and national security.
According to Adeyeye, counterfeiters now exploit online procurement systems that allow individuals to order fake products directly from foreign manufacturers without leaving Nigeria.
She said they also take advantage of cargo consolidation arrangements, commonly known as groupage, in which multiple importers share a single shipping container, making it difficult for regulators to identify suspicious consignments.
“Previously, importers had to travel abroad, inspect factories and arrange shipments themselves,” she said.
“Today, someone can sit comfortably in a shop in Nigeria, place an order online and have counterfeit products delivered through logistics companies.
“These foreign suppliers monitor products with high market demand and arrange for counterfeit versions to be manufactured abroad, particularly in Asia.”
She noted that many fake products closely mimic the packaging of genuine brands, making them difficult for consumers and retailers to distinguish from authentic goods.
“No country in the world can effectively monitor every single package entering through such channels. This has become a major security concern, not only for medicines but for other regulated products as well,” she added.
To tackle the challenge, NAFDAC said it had strengthened collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security and regulatory agencies to tighten border controls and close regulatory loopholes.
The agency is also improving verification systems to enable manufacturers to confirm whether imported shipments genuinely originated from their facilities.
“This fight cannot be won by NAFDAC alone,” Adeyeye said.
“Government agencies, manufacturers, importers, logistics companies, healthcare professionals, the media and consumers all have critical roles to play in safeguarding public health.”
She also commended the judiciary for accelerating the prosecution of drug-related offences and securing convictions against individuals involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines.
“We have recorded a number of convictions since last year,” she said.
“The most recent involved an individual sentenced to 40 years imprisonment in a case that commenced last November and was concluded in February.”
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, purchase medicines only from authorised outlets, verify products using available authentication technologies and promptly report suspected counterfeit products to the appropriate authorities.