Abuja — June 17, 2025
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to intensify crackdowns on the circulation of counterfeit products and clamp down on price-fixing cartels within markets and distribution chains across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, said the Commission will deploy stricter enforcement tools, including surprise inspections, fines, and legal prosecutions to deter unethical business practices that exploit Nigerian consumers.
“We are witnessing a dangerous increase in the sale of substandard and counterfeit goods, especially in sectors like pharmaceuticals, food items, electronics, and personal care. This not only cheats consumers but endangers lives,” Dr. Abdullahi stated.
The Commission also raised concerns over growing reports of collusive pricing practices in key commodity markets — particularly among traders of staple goods such as rice, tomatoes, pepper, and poultry products — which contribute to artificial inflation and hardship for the average Nigerian.
According to the FCCPC, it is currently investigating groups of traders, importers, and wholesalers suspected of engaging in coordinated price-setting, hoarding, and deliberate market distortion. It warned that such actions violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and attract criminal and civil penalties.
“We are not just monitoring, we are acting. Our surveillance teams are on the ground in major cities, and we will not hesitate to prosecute individuals and organisations found guilty of price-fixing or endangering consumers with fake products,” Dr. Abdullahi added.
In response to the ongoing economic pressures on households, the FCCPC said it will also launch a nationwide consumer rights awareness campaign aimed at educating Nigerians on how to identify fake goods, report unethical business practices, and assert their rights under the law.
The Commission further called on manufacturers, retailers, and market unions to uphold ethical standards, maintain transparency in pricing, and ensure their products meet Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) and NAFDAC certification.
The renewed FCCPC enforcement drive aligns with the Federal Government’s broader economic reform plan to tackle inflation, stabilise markets, and protect vulnerable consumers under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
