The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a binding directive mandating full and accurate labelling for all manufactured goods sold across Nigeria.
The Commission announced the order on Wednesday, citing growing concerns over the rising number of products circulating in the market with incomplete, misleading, or entirely missing label information.
According to the public advisory, routine market surveillance and quality assurance exercises uncovered widespread violations, including products without production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, and country of origin. Some products, the Commission noted, also bore deceptive claims that could mislead consumers.
“The Commission has observed with serious concern the increasing circulation, distribution, and sale of consumer goods that do not comply with prevailing standards and regulations governing product labelling,” the FCCPC stated in the advisory.
Citing Sections 17(p), (w), (x), 114, 116, 123, and 125 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), 2018, the Commission emphasized that its mandate includes promoting consumer safety by enforcing labelling standards set by agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
“As empowered by the Act, the Commission is mandated to promote consumer safety by ensuring strict adherence to labelling requirements in line with applicable standards set by competent regulatory authorities,” the advisory read.
The FCCPC warned that products failing to meet these requirements violate consumers’ fundamental right to make informed purchasing decisions. Beyond legal infractions, the Commission stressed that unlabelled or mislabelled goods pose serious health, safety, and economic risks to the public.
“Deceptive, incomplete, or misleading product labelling violates consumers’ right to the information required to make informed purchasing decisions and may expose them to significant health, safety, and economic risks,” the Commission said.
As part of the directive, all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers are required to immediately review their inventory and withdraw any non-compliant goods from circulation.
“Businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action,” the FCCPC warned.
For consumers, the Commission advised vigilance, urging buyers to scrutinize product labels before purchase and avoid items with missing, illegible, altered, or poorly printed labels, as well as those making questionable claims.
“In light of the foregoing, consumers are advised to carefully examine product labels before purchase and avoid products with missing, illegible, altered, misrepresented, or poor-quality labels, as well as those bearing false claims or misleading information,” the advisory stated.
The FCCPC further encouraged the public to report suspected violations through its official complaint channels, assuring that enforcement efforts would continue in collaboration with relevant regulatory bodies to ensure full compliance across the country.
“The FCCPC will continue to strengthen nationwide market surveillance and enforcement activities in collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities to ensure compliance and enhance consumer protection,” the Commission assured.
Discussion about this post