Despite Nigeria’s active participation in various preventative conventions, reasonably good IPR laws and a growing interest among Nigerians to see their intellectual property protected, counterfeiting is rampant in Nigeria. Counterfeited items range from automotive parts, business and entertainment software, music and video recordings and other consumer goods, which are openly sold throughout the country. Intellectual property infringers from other countries also appear to be using Nigeria as a base for the production of pirated goods.

Click here for a comprehensive report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative on the issue of counterfeiting and fraud in Nigeria.

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals
Fake medicine is an enormous problem here. According to Interpol conference data “80 percent of the drugs distributed in major pharmacies in the capital city of Lagos were counterfeit.”

Examples of counterfeit medicines, such as anti-malarial or vitamin pills, are capsules containing olive oil, medicine containing a different active substance than that indicated on the package; drugs without an expiry date or drugs of which the full name and address of the manufacturer are not given.

Dora Akunyili, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria, claims a lot of the counterfeit drugs circulating in Africa originate from India. Dora has become the figurehead for her country’s fight against counterfeit drugs and her determination is fuelled by personal experience; in 1988 her sister died after being given fake and contaminated insulin for her diabetes. In December 2003, Dora faced an assassination attempt – investigators say that local drug distributors hired local contract killers to murder her. This alone highlights the undeniable link between extreme organized crime and counterfeit drugs.

Click here to read more about Dora Akunyili.

Since Dora Akunyili took office in 2001, by 2004 Nigeria's level of fake drugs had fallen to 35%, down from around 70% in 2001, according to Nafdac studies. But the counterfeiters continue to try to outwit defensive measures, for example managing to copy a hologram that Glaxo had put on its packaging to protect its brand.

“Counterfeiting of medicines is one of the greatest atrocities of our time, It is a form of terrorism against public health as well as an act of economic sabotage". Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC.

Anyone travelling to Nigeria should be aware of the counterfeit drugs problem, especially with regards to any anti-malarial treatment, such as Chloroquine, that they may acquire while out there. Avoid older cheaper drugs, most of which are made in Africa and lack quality assurance.

Nigerian counterfeit cashier’s cheque scam
Nigeria has also been closely linked with a type of cheque scam involving the sale of merchandise over the Internet via classified advertisements. Typically, an interested party located outside the United States contacts a seller. The seller is told that the buyer has an associate in the United States that owes him money. As such, he will have the associate send the seller a cashier's cheque for the amount owed to the buyer.

The amount of the cashier's cheque will be thousands of dollars more than the price of the merchandise and the seller is told the excess amount will be used to pay the shipping costs associated with getting the merchandise to his location. The seller is instructed to deposit the (bogus) cheque, and as soon as it clears, to wire the excess funds back to the buyer or to another associate identified as a shipping agent. In most instances, the money is sent to locations in Nigeria.

Because a cashier's cheque is used, a bank will typically release the funds almost straight away. Falsely believing the cheque has cleared, the seller wires the money as instructed. In some cases, the buyer is able to convince the seller that some circumstance has arisen making it necessary to cancel the sale, and manages to con the victim into sending the remainder of the money. Shortly thereafter, the victim's bank notifies him that the cheque was fraudulent, and the victim is held responsible for the full amount of the cheque.

Nigerian letter or “419’
Another type of financial fraud emanating from Nigeria, the “419” is so named due to its violation of Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. The 419 scam combines the threat of impersonation fraud with a variation of an advance fee scheme in which a letter, email, or fax is received by the potential victim. This communication from individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials offers the "opportunity" to share in a percentage of millions of dollars, soliciting for help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts. Payment of taxes, bribes to government officials, and legal fees are often described in great detail with the promise that all expenses will be reimbursed as soon as the funds are out of the country. The recipient is encouraged to send information to the author, such as blank letterhead stationary, bank name and account numbers, and other identifying information using a facsimile number provided in the letter. The scheme relies on convincing a willing victim to send money to the author of the letter in several installments of increasing amounts for a variety of reasons.

People who suspect they have fallen victim to either of the above schemes can contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center to file a complaint.

When in Nigeria be wary and on the lookout for any sort of suspicious requests or anyone approaching you with a proposition involving an exchange of money/traveller’s cheques. Scams can be set up via the Internet but can also take place through apparently casual encounters with strangers.

Fake food and beverages
More recently fake wine has emerged as a problem in Nigeria. In September 2008 the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control uncovered a fake wine plant where assorted brands of wines and spirits were being produced. Counterfeit alcohol should be avoided at all costs, as it can be life-threatening. According to the Chief Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC, the danger of consuming these faked products range from entero-gastritis, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, to organ damage.

At the same time as uncovering the fake wine plant, the NAFDAC also issued a warning related to fake margarine, and fruit juice and fake versions of a herbal product known as Yoyo Bitters. Consumers were warned that the fake products could lead to health problems such as kidney failure. ‘Topper’ was named as the faked brand of margarine and it was produced by simply buying inferior quality margarine which was then melted before pouring it into original containers of Topper brand margarine. The fake‘One Time’ fruit juice was produced using untreated well water, which could cause severe stomach upsets and diarrhoea, especially for travellers and visitors to the country. Be aware when you go shopping for food and drink and only shop at proper supermarkets for things like this.

Shopping in Lagos
Lagos has the expected local ‘entrepreneneurs’ peddling their wares, both fake and genuine. Caution is advised when making purchases from any market or street vendors and be on the lookout for pickpockets! There are also accounts of tourists buying fake hashish; the advice being walk away if someone approaches you.

Click here for a comprehensive list of supermarkets, small vendors and regional markets in Lagos.

The currency is the naira (N) which is divided into 100 kobo. Currency notes are issued in denominations of N5, N10, N20, N50 and N100. Coins are issued in 10K, 25K, and N 1. Except for hotel bills, foreigners can do their shopping and other businesses in the local currency. Click here for images of Nigerian currency. Unsurprisingly there have been incidences of counterfeiting of this currency, so be aware of the notes in your wallet and what they should look like.

Nigerian scams
Click here for a full update on all the various scams emanating from Nigeria to look out for.