Regulators in Nigeria are mounting pressure on counterfeit distribution networks following a rise in imports from China, which reached ₦11.01 trillion in the first half of 2026.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that Chinese goods accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the nation’s total ₦28.04 trillion import bill between January and June, up from 29.03 per cent during the same period in 2025. This surge occurred despite an overall 15.37 per cent drop in total Nigerian imports, consolidating China’s standing as the country’s main trading partner.
Alongside the expanded trade volume, public concern over illicit goods has intensified, amplified by viral online campaigns against fake pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and contaminated food items. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) revealed that foreign syndicate operations have adapted. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, explained that illicit operators no longer require local buyers to travel abroad.
Instead, foreign operatives identify popular commodities within the domestic market, arrange overseas replication, and utilise their own local logistics firms for regional distribution. In response, NAFDAC has actively shut down connected logistics outfits. Officials emphasised that the broader import statistics do not imply all Chinese trade is illicit, though the high volume underscores the monumental oversight challenge facing border and market authorities.
The trade relationship remains severely skewed. Between January and June 2026, Nigeria exported just ₦1.09 trillion worth of goods to China, representing 2.26 per cent of total national exports, resulting in a merchandise trade deficit of ₦9.92 trillion. For every ₦1 worth of products exported to China, Nigeria imported over ₦10 worth in return. Within Asia specifically, China dominated, capturing over two-thirds of the ₦16.12 trillion spent on Asian imports during the six-month span.
Chinese imports remain crucial to key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Key shipments during the period included telecommunications equipment, agricultural machinery, photovoltaic solar panels, oil pipeline components, and heavy construction equipment. Driven largely by these supplies, total manufactured goods imports climbed to ₦18 trillion in the first half of the year, representing 64.16 per cent of Nigeria’s overall import bill.
In response to the influx of unverified goods, enforcement efforts have been scaled up nationwide. NAFDAC Director-General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye confirmed that the agency has confiscated or destroyed more than ₦1.54 trillion worth of substandard products since 2023. Furthermore, regulatory enforcement operations led to 64 convictions for counterfeiting offences between June 2025 and June 2026.