The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to immediately withdraw consumer goods with incomplete, misleading or deceptive labels from the market.
Newsonspot reports that the directive was contained in a public advisory issued by the Commission’s management and shared on its official X account on Tuesday.
According to the FCCPC, its market surveillance, routine inspections and quality assurance activities have uncovered an increasing number of products that fail to meet required labelling standards.
The Commission said some of the affected products lacked important information such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin and other mandatory labelling requirements.
It warned that misleading or incomplete labels could prevent consumers from making informed purchasing decisions and expose them to health, safety and financial risks.
The FCCPC said its authority to enforce proper product labelling is derived from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, alongside applicable standards set by regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The Commission therefore instructed businesses to review their inventories and remove all non-compliant products from sale.
It also warned that manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers who continue to sell products with defective or misleading labels could face regulatory enforcement action.
Consumers were equally advised to carefully check product labels before making purchases and avoid goods with missing, altered, illegible or poor-quality labels, as well as products carrying false or misleading claims.
The FCCPC urged members of the public to report suspected cases of non-compliance through its official complaint channels.
The Commission added that it would continue to intensify nationwide market surveillance and enforcement in collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities to strengthen consumer protection.
