FCCPC Orders Immediate Removal of Poorly Labelled Products

(FCCPC Logo. Photo by Vanguard News)

Nigeria's competition and consumer protection watchdog has ordered all manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to immediately remove products from shelves if they don't have proper labels.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission announced the directive on social media on Wednesday, saying it has noticed more and more products with incomplete, false or misleading information on their packaging.

During inspections and checks of products in the market, the agency found goods missing important details like production dates, expiry dates, batch numbers, who made them, lists of ingredients, information about allergens and where the product came from.

These details are required by law.

The commission said that incomplete or deceptive labels deny consumers the right to get proper information before buying something.

Without this information, shoppers cannot make smart purchasing choices and could face health risks, safety problems or lose money on bad purchases.

All businesses must review what they have in stock and pull out any products that don't have the right labels.

Those who continue selling non-compliant products will face legal enforcement action.

The agency also advised shoppers to examine product labels carefully before buying anything.

People should avoid products with missing, unclear, damaged or poor-quality labels.

Consumers were also warned to watch out for products with false claims or other misleading information.

Members of the public can report suspected labelling violations through the commission's official complaint channels.

The commission said it will keep monitoring the market and working with other regulatory agencies to ensure businesses follow the rules and protect consumers.