Nigeria imported goods worth ₦11.01 trillion from China in the first half of 2026, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the country’s total imports. This comes amid rising concerns by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control over Chinese-linked counterfeit networks.
An analysis of the latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics reports from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that imports from China increased from ₦5.10 trillion in the first quarter to ₦5.92 trillion in the second quarter.
The total of ₦11.01 trillion represented 39.27 percent of Nigeria’s ₦28.04 trillion total imports between January and June 2026. Nearly ₦4 out of every ₦10 spent on imported goods during this period was on products from China.
China’s share of Nigeria’s imports also grew significantly from the same period last year. NBS data showed Nigeria imported ₦4.66 trillion from China in Q1 2025 and ₦4.96 trillion in Q2, totaling ₦9.62 trillion for the first half of 2025.
This means imports from China rose by ₦1.39 trillion, or 14.49 percent, to ₦11.01 trillion in the first half of 2026. This increase occurred despite a drop in Nigeria’s overall import bill. Total imports fell from ₦33.14 trillion in the first half of 2025 to ₦28.04 trillion in H1 2026, a 15.37 percent decline.
As a result, China’s share of Nigeria’s imports jumped from 29.03 percent in the first half of 2025 to 39.27 percent in the same period of 2026, an increase of over 10 percentage points.
This development confirms China’s position as Nigeria’s largest source of imported goods. In Q1 2026, Nigeria’s total imports stood at ₦13.62 trillion, down 18.17 percent from ₦16.64 trillion in the same period of 2025.
China supplied ₦5.10 trillion of these imports, accounting for 37.42 percent. The United States was second with ₦2.81 trillion, followed by India with ₦992.87 billion.
The trend continued in the following three months. Imports from China rose by 16.09 percent quarter-on-quarter to N5.92 trillion in Q2, making up 41.02 percent of Nigeria’s N14.42 trillion total imports during that period.
In contrast, the United States, Nigeria’s second-largest import source that quarter, accounted for only N1.01 trillion or 6.97 percent, while India supplied N924.46 billion or 6.41 percent. The Netherlands and Germany accounted for N409.81 billion and N395.87 billion, respectively.
These figures show that China supplied nearly six times more goods than the United States did in Q2. Compared to Q2 2025, imports from China increased by N955.58 billion, or 19.26 percent, from N4.96 trillion, even though Nigeria’s total imports decreased by 12.55 percent year-on-year.
The rising value of Chinese imports comes amid renewed concerns over counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria. Social media has amplified the alarm over fake items like toothpastes, creams, contaminated bottled water, and adulterated yogurt drinks.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, the agency had uncovered a new trend involving some Chinese counterfeiters operating within Nigeria.
He explained that investigations indicated some operators identify popular products, arrange for their replication, and use logistics networks to distribute the counterfeits.
He added that the practice has shifted from an earlier model where Nigerian counterfeiters traveled to China for production. Now, they are here, identifying products, sending them to China, and then distributing them locally without travel.
Iluyomade described this as a “new trend making it (fake goods situation) look this serious” and stated that NAFDAC had discovered that Chinese counterfeiters owned logistics companies used for distribution.
The agency has been shutting down logistics companies linked to these networks to disrupt counterfeit supply. However, these allegations do not mean all N11.01 trillion worth of imports from China are counterfeit. The scale highlights the need for strong regulatory oversight at Nigeria’s borders and domestically.
Further analysis showed China’s dominance within Nigeria’s trade with Asia. Imports from Asia totaled N7.55 trillion in Q1 and N8.56 trillion in Q2, totaling N16.12 trillion in the first half. China’s N11.01 trillion accounted for 68.34 percent of that.
More than two-thirds of Nigeria’s spending on imports from Asia during these six months went to China. Asia itself strengthened its role as Nigeria’s main import partner, supplying 55.45 percent in Q1, and increasing to 59.37 percent in Q2.
Chinese exports to Nigeria cover sectors like telecommunications, agriculture, construction, renewable energy, and industry. In Q1, top imports from China included machines for data transmission, valued at ₦254.41 billion, seeders and planters at ₦137.94 billion, and parts for transmitting data at ₦104.53 billion.
Other import categories were herbicides and agricultural products at ₦103.83 billion and pipeline line pipes at N81.15 billion. In Q2, photovoltaic cells assembled into panels topped the list at N184.02 billion, followed by machines for data transmission at N158.73 billion, and machinery with a 360-degree revolving superstructure at N152.56 billion.
The data shows that China’s supplies remain vital to Nigeria’s telecommunications, agriculture, construction, renewable energy, and industrial sectors. The increase in reliance on China correlates with a rise in Nigeria’s overall imports of manufactured goods.
Manufactured imports rose to N8.48 trillion in Q1 2026, up 12.94 percent from N7.51 trillion in the same quarter of 2025, and increased further to N9.51 trillion in Q2, a 20.65 percent surge from a year earlier and a 12.10 percent rise from Q1.
In the first six months, Nigeria imported N18 trillion worth of manufactured goods—about 64.16 percent of its total import bill. The trade imbalance with China is clear: Nigeria exported N582.20 billion in goods to China in Q1 and N506.57 billion in Q2, totaling N1.09 trillion in the first half. With imports at N11.01 trillion, Nigeria’s merchandise trade deficit with China reached around N9.92 trillion.
This means Nigeria exports roughly N1 worth of goods for every N10.11 it imports from China. Nigeria’s exports to China only make up about 2.26 percent of total exports of N48.19 trillion during that period, highlighting the bilateral trade imbalance.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC has intensified their crackdown on counterfeit and substandard products following rising public concerns about fake medicines, food, cosmetics, and other regulated goods.
The agency said it secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting offenses from June 2025 to June 2026. Investigations and enforcement efforts led to seizures and destruction of large quantities of unregistered and counterfeit products.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, also revealed that since 2023, over N1.54 trillion worth of fake and substandard regulated products have been destroyed or seized nationwide.
Additionally, private sector operators said counterfeiting damages profits, discourages investment, and forces legitimate producers out of business.
Earlier, the Vice Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the National Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Peter Popoola, said that counterfeiting hurts members’ sales, profits, and brand reputation.
He explained that small businesses can’t afford to protect their products due to high costs. “The cost of protecting our products and taking possible legal action is high. SMEs’ finances are generally limited; we cannot afford it. It slows down our growth and leads to job losses,” he said.
Popoola called for government grants and low-interest loans to help small manufacturers grow and suggested consumer credit schemes to make quality products more affordable.
Meanwhile, Duro Kuteyi, CEO of Spectra Industries Limited, said decreasing household incomes are pushing Nigerians toward counterfeit products. “There is not much money in the pocket, so everybody is looking for cheap items, and that is where counterfeiters gain access to the market,” Kuteyi said.
He urged consumers to watch for signs of fake goods, like poorly placed labels and soft drinks without gas.
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