Nigeria’s consumer watchdog is tightening the pressure on businesses to prioritise safety, warning that substandard products will no longer be tolerated in the marketplace.
At the 2026 World Consumer Rights Day celebration in Abuja—held alongside the 9th National Consumers Contest Awards—the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) urged manufacturers, importers, and distributors to strictly comply with product safety standards.
Themed “Safe Products, Confident Consumers”, the event spotlighted the direct link between product quality and public trust.
Speaking through FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Boladale Adeyinka, Executive Vice Chairman Tunji Bello stressed that unsafe or poorly labelled goods continue to surface across multiple sectors.
These lapses, he noted, are often driven by weak compliance systems—and in some cases, deliberate disregard for regulations.
Bello warned that such practices not only endanger consumers but also distort fair competition by disadvantaging responsible businesses.
“Product safety is not optional,” he emphasised, underscoring that hazardous goods must be recalled promptly, with clear communication to the public. Failure to comply, he added, will attract regulatory sanctions.
The Commission has responded by intensifying market surveillance, strengthening product testing, and collaborating closely with agencies like the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC. These joint efforts aim to prevent unsafe products from entering—or remaining in—the Nigerian market.
While FCCPC does not control prices, it remains focused on enforcing transparency and fairness, targeting deceptive practices that harm consumers.
Bello also highlighted the importance of public awareness, encouraging Nigerians to stay alert—check labels, ask questions, and report suspicious products.
He pointed to initiatives like the National Young Consumers Contest as part of a broader push to build a more informed, responsible consumer base.
As Nigeria pursues broader economic reforms, the message is clear: safe products, ethical business practices, and active consumer participation are essential to building a trustworthy and resilient marketplace.
