By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The influx of substandard and counterfeit products into Nigeria is raising fresh concerns among regulators, traders and consumers, as fake electronics, unsafe tyres, defective auto parts, electrical products and counterfeit medicines continue to surface in markets and warehouses across the country.
Findings by Shipping Position Daily showed that the development is coming against the backdrop of the huge volume of goods entering the country, with Nigeria importing goods worth ₦13.619 trillion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. This is according to the latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS report showed that China remained Nigeria’s largest source of imports during the period, accounting for ₦5.10 trillion, or 37.42 per cent of total imports. The United States followed with ₦2.81 trillion (20.60 per cent), India with ₦992.87 billion (7.29 per cent), Germany with ₦390.35 billion (2.87 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates with ₦222.47 billion (1.63 per cent).
The figures do not suggest that the five countries are responsible for the influx of substandard goods, but they highlight the scale of the international supply chains through which products enter the Nigerian market and the challenge facing agencies responsible for ensuring that only compliant products get to consumers.
The concerns cut across several product categories, with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) continuing to deal with substandard electrical and electronic products, tyres, automotive components and other regulated goods, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) tackles fake, expired and unregistered medicines and other products within its mandate.
The problem has also drawn attention to the electronics market, particularly Alaba International Market, Lagos, one of the country’s biggest centres for the distribution of electrical and electronic products.
However, the leadership of the electronics section of the market has rejected claims that substandard products are still being openly sold in the market.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, President General of Alaba International Market Electronics, Evang. Paulinus Ugochukwu, said continuous sensitisation of traders, coupled with the efforts of SON, had significantly sanitised the market.
Ugochukwu said the market no longer had substandard or fake electronic products, stressing that traders had become more conscious of the need to comply with standards.
According to him, sustained engagement between the market association and SON had helped to educate traders on the dangers associated with the importation and sale of substandard electronics.
He said the association had also continued to encourage its members to comply with regulatory requirements and protect the reputation of Alaba International Market.
The position represents a significant change from the historical perception of Alaba as a major destination for counterfeit and substandard electronics. SON had previously undertaken sensitisation programmes in the market aimed at getting traders to eliminate fake and substandard products. In one such engagement, the agency and market association agreed to work together on self-regulation and enforcement.
However, further findings by our correspondent at the market appeared to present a more complicated picture, with significant differences in the prices of apparently similar products depending on their quality, specifications and brand.
Checks by our correspondent also showed that some products were being offered at considerably lower prices than comparable products bearing established international brands, raising questions about the quality, specifications and authenticity of some of the products available to buyers.
The findings did not, however, establish that all such cheaper products were fake or substandard, as differences in specifications, manufacturing quality, warranty, components and branding can also account for variations in prices.
One trader in the electronics section, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the influx of cheaper and inferior products remained a concern.
“The problem is that some importers are only interested in bringing in cheaper products because they want quick profit. These products look like the original ones, but their quality is far below standard. By the time the consumer discovers the difference, the trader has already made his money,” he said.
He said the situation was making it difficult for genuine dealers to compete, particularly where consumers were more interested in cheaper prices.
“There are products that you buy today and within a few weeks they develop faults. This is not good for the market because when consumers have a bad experience, they begin to suspect everybody selling the same product.
“Genuine dealers suffer because of the activities of those bringing in inferior goods,” he added.
A visit to sections of the market by our correspondent further showed that prices of some electronic products varied significantly, with traders offering different grades and brands of similar products at different prices.
Examples of products observed by our correspondent included television sets, rechargeable fans, electrical appliances and other consumer electronics offered in different brands, specifications and price ranges.
The findings could not, on their own, establish that the products were counterfeit or substandard, as proper laboratory testing and conformity assessment would be required to make such a determination.
The development nevertheless highlights the difficulty confronting regulators and consumers in distinguishing between genuine, low-cost and substandard products in a market where products with similar appearances can carry substantially different prices.
The concern our correspondent noted is not limited to electronics. SON has continued to intercept products that fail to meet Nigerian standards, including tyres, electrical cables, spark plugs, steel products and other regulated commodities.
The agency has warned repeatedly that substandard tyres and electrical products could have serious consequences for public safety, particularly where consumers are unable to determine the quality of a product before purchase.
The tyre issue is particularly sensitive because defective or improperly manufactured tyres can fail while vehicles are in motion, potentially resulting in serious accidents.
The situation is also being mirrored in the pharmaceutical sector, where NAFDAC has continued to uncover large consignments of fake and unregistered medicines.
In February 2026, the agency seized more than 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medicines and cosmetics valued at about ₦3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
The products included counterfeit anti-malaria medicines, injections used in the treatment of cerebral malaria, antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products.
The discovery followed NAFDAC’s major enforcement operation in 2025 during which more than 100 truckloads of substandard, falsified, expired and banned medicines were removed from major open drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba.
The Nigeria Customs Service has also intercepted pharmaceutical products at the ports.
In July 2026, Customs handed over nine containers containing seized narcotics, fake medicines and unregistered pharmaceutical products with a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦53.39 billion to NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Among the products intercepted were 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup, expired pharmaceutical products and a consignment of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC registration number and fraudulent documentation.
The series of interceptions has increased calls for closer collaboration between Customs, SON and NAFDAC, particularly at the ports where large volumes of imported goods enter the country.
