The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has directed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to withdraw from sale consumer goods that do not comply with mandatory product labelling requirements.
The commission, in a public advisory issued on Wednesday, said market surveillance, routine inspections and quality assurance activities had uncovered products carrying misleading or deceptive information, as well as goods without essential details such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredients, allergen warnings and country of origin.
The FCCPC said the enforcement was pursuant to Sections 17(p), (w), (x), 114, 116, 123 and 125 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, adding that it was mandated to promote consumer safety by ensuring compliance with labelling requirements established by relevant regulatory authorities, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
“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 stated.
The FCCPC therefore urged businesses to immediately review their inventories and remove non-compliant products from the market, warning that continued distribution or sale of such goods could attract regulatory enforcement action.
It also advised consumers to carefully examine product labels before purchasing goods, particularly products with missing, illegible, altered or poor-quality labels, as well as those containing false claims or misleading information.
The commission urged consumers to report suspected cases of non-compliance through its official complaint channels, assuring that it would continue to intensify nationwide market surveillance and enforcement in collaboration with relevant regulatory agencies to strengthen consumer protection.
