The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned that airlines, shipping companies and logistics providers that help bring counterfeit goods into Nigeria could face penalties and criminal charges. The agency said any channel used to distribute fake medicines and other unsafe products will be acted against under the law.
Speaking in Lagos during Anti-Counterfeiting Month, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Martins Iluyomade said fraudsters are taking advantage of modern supply chains, online marketplaces and cargo consolidation (groupage) to inundate Nigeria with counterfeit medicines, cosmetics, drinks and other regulated items—many produced abroad, especially in Asia, with packaging designed to imitate legitimate brands. He noted that some local counterfeiters import packaging from China to make fake goods appear genuine.
Iluyomade warned that airlines, shipping lines and logistics firms that knowingly or negligently facilitate these imports will be prosecuted under the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Cap C.34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004).
He further highlighted that NAFDAC has stepped up cooperation with the Nigeria Customs Service and security agencies, improved verification systems so manufacturers can verify shipment origins, and urged tighter oversight of bonded terminals and Free Trade Zones, which counterfeiters frequently exploit.
