At a briefing marking the 2026 International Anti-Counterfeit Month, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDA), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that cosmetics, food and beverages make up over 50% of counterfeit goods seized in Nigeria.
Represented by Dr Martins Iluyomade. She said the figure is based on enforcement seizures nationwide, noting that fake medicines with wrong, insufficient or no active ingredients are also widely confiscated.
NAFDAC said cosmetics remain the most counterfeited products, followed by food and beverages, jointly accounting for more than half of all seizures, while pharmaceuticals also form a significant share of enforcement actions.
The agency also praised the judiciary for faster prosecutions, citing convictions including a 40-year prison sentence. NAFDAC urged Nigerians to buy from authorised outlets, verify products using authentication tools, and report suspected counterfeit items.
Adeyeye warned that counterfeiters are adopting more sophisticated methods. “Cosmetics account for the most counterfeited products in Nigeria, followed by food and beverages, accounting for more than 50 per cent of seizures,” she said. She also added that “No country in the world can effectively monitor every single package entering through such channels.”
She explained that criminals now use online procurement systems to order fake products directly into Nigeria, as well as “groupage” cargo systems where multiple importers share containers, making detection difficult. According to her, “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.”
She further noted that counterfeit packaging often closely mimics genuine brands, making identification difficult. To curb the trend, NAFDAC said it is collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies, tightening regulations, and improving verification systems. Adeyeye stressed that “This fight cannot be won by NAFDAC alone.”
