The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed that cosmetics, food, and beverages make up more than half of counterfeit products circulating in Nigeria.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing organised to mark the 2026 International Anti-Counterfeit Month, observed globally in June.
She was represented at the event by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade.
According to Adeyeye, the figure is based on the volume of fake cosmetics, food items, and beverages seized during enforcement operations conducted by NAFDAC across the country.
She also noted that a significant number of counterfeit and substandard pharmaceuticals—ranging from medicines with wrong ingredients to those with insufficient or no active active ingredients—have been confiscated during regulatory raids nationwide.
The agency stated that cosmetics remain the most frequently counterfeited products in Nigeria, followed closely by food and beverages, which together account for over 50 per cent of all seizures. Pharmaceuticals also form a considerable share of enforcement actions.
NAFDAC raised alarm over what it described as increasingly sophisticated methods used by counterfeiters to introduce fake and substandard products into the Nigerian market, warning that the trend poses serious risks to both public health and national security.
The Director-General explained that criminals now take advantage of online procurement platforms, allowing buyers in Nigeria to order counterfeit goods directly from overseas manufacturers without physically travelling.
She further highlighted the use of cargo consolidation systems, commonly known as groupage, where multiple importers share shipping containers, making it more difficult for regulators to detect suspicious consignments.
“Previously, importers had to travel abroad, inspect factories and arrange shipments themselves.
“Today, someone can sit comfortably in a shop in Nigeria, place an order online, and have counterfeit products delivered to their doorstep through logistics companies.
These foreign companies have agents or suppliers that monitor products with high market demand and arrange for counterfeit versions to be manufactured abroad, particularly in Asia.
“These fake products often replicate the packaging of genuine brands so closely that consumers and even retailers struggle to distinguish them from authentic products,” she said.
She added that the scale of global trade makes it impossible for any country to monitor every single package entering through such channels, describing the situation as a growing security concern that extends beyond medicines to other regulated goods.
READ ALSO: NAFDAC Warns Nigerians Over Fake Colgate Toothpaste In Circulation
“No country in the world can effectively monitor every single package entering through such channels.
“This has become a serious security concern, not just for medicines but for other regulated products,” she said.
To counter the challenge, NAFDAC said it has intensified collaboration with security agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as other regulatory bodies involved in border and market surveillance.
The agency also stated that it is working to tighten regulatory loopholes and strengthen verification systems that enable manufacturers to confirm whether imported goods genuinely originate from approved facilities.
“This fight cannot be won by NAFDAC alone.
“Government institutions, manufacturers, importers, logistics companies, healthcare professionals, media and consumers all have a role to play in safeguarding public health.”
Adeyeye also commended the judiciary for supporting faster prosecution of offenders in drug-related cases, noting that several convictions have already been secured.
“We have had a number of convictions since last year.
“The most recent was an individual that was sentenced to 40 years in prison in a case that started last November and was completed in February,” she said.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by purchasing medicines only from approved outlets, using authentication tools to verify products, and reporting suspected counterfeit goods to the relevant authorities.