By Mardiyyah Abubakar
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has ordered manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to withdraw consumer goods with incomplete, misleading or deceptive labels from the market.
The FCCPC issued the directive in a public advisory signed by its management and published on Tuesday.
The commission said market surveillance, routine inspections and quality assurance activities had uncovered products without essential information, including production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information and country of origin.
It warned that misleading or incomplete labelling violates consumers’ right to the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions and could expose them to health, safety and economic risks.
The FCCPC said it had the authority under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, to enforce consumer safety and ensure compliance with labelling requirements and applicable standards set by regulatory bodies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The commission directed businesses to immediately review their inventories and remove non-compliant products from sale.
It warned that businesses that continue to distribute or sell such products risk regulatory enforcement action.
The FCCPC also urged consumers to check product labels carefully and avoid goods with missing, illegible, altered or misleading information.
It encouraged consumers to report suspected violations through its official complaint channels.
The commission said it would continue nationwide market surveillance and enforcement in collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities to strengthen consumer protection.
