FCCPC, LASCOPA Partner to Crack Down on Consumer Exploitation

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has partnered with the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) to strengthen consumer protection by addressing key marketplace issues, including price transparency, product labelling standards, and return and refund policies.

The initiative was announced during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Wednesday in Ikeja, where regulators, businesses and other industry players gathered to discuss ways of promoting fair trade and consumer confidence.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, represented by the commission’s South-West Coordinator, Olubumi Otti, described Lagos as Nigeria’s commercial hub, where millions of transactions take place daily across markets, supermarkets, shopping malls, neighbourhood stores and online platforms.

According to Bello, while these transactions drive economic growth, create jobs and support livelihoods, they also rely heavily on consumer trust.

He said consumers should have confidence that the price displayed on a product is the amount they will be charged, that product information is accurate, and that their legal rights to refunds, repairs or replacements—where applicable—will be respected.

“When consumers trust the marketplace, they are more willing to spend, businesses build customer loyalty, and fair competition thrives,” he said.

Bello explained that the engagement focused on three critical aspects of consumer protection—price tagging, minimum labelling requirements, and return and refund obligations—which, although often regarded as routine business practices, are essential for promoting transparency and informed purchasing decisions.

He noted that the objective of the meeting was not merely to remind businesses of their legal responsibilities but to encourage meaningful dialogue on the importance of compliance and how it benefits both consumers and businesses.

The FCCPC boss stressed that the commission prioritises stakeholder engagement over confrontation, arguing that businesses are more likely to comply with regulations when legal requirements are clearly explained and expectations are properly understood.

He added that transparency and honesty remain key expectations of every business, pointing out that the commission continues to receive complaints from consumers over avoidable issues in the marketplace.

Bello also underscored the importance of displaying prices on products, describing it as a fundamental requirement for fairness.

According to him, consumers should know the cost of an item before making a purchase and should not have to wait until they reach the checkout counter to discover its price. He also condemned situations where different customers are charged different prices for the same product based on assumptions about their ability to pay.

He said the stakeholder engagement was designed to help businesses understand their obligations before enforcement actions become necessary.

Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Bello stated that effective consumer protection cannot be achieved by a single agency alone, given the size and complexity of today’s marketplace.

He said the partnership between the FCCPC and LASCOPA reflects a shared commitment to protecting consumers while creating a transparent, predictable and business-friendly regulatory environment.

Also speaking at the event, LASCOPA General Manager Afolabi Sholebo said the engagement demonstrated a collective commitment to building a marketplace that is fair, transparent and deserving of public trust.

He described the meeting as more than a routine gathering, noting that it serves as a platform for regulators and businesses to work together by combining enforcement with education and voluntary compliance.

Sholebo observed that regulatory authorities across Nigeria have intensified enforcement against unfair trade practices, sanctioning businesses for offences such as failing to display prices, selling expired products, providing misleading product information and refusing legitimate requests for refunds or product returns.

He emphasised that compliance with pricing regulations, product labelling requirements and consumer redress mechanisms is not optional but a legal obligation under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 and the Lagos State Consumer Protection Law 2025, as amended.

According to him, adherence to these regulations is not only a statutory requirement but also a hallmark of responsible and ethical business practice.