By OLUSOJI DAOMI
Every day, whether we realize it or not, we enter into silent contracts with merchants, sellers, and service providers. We buy sachet water, face cream, cough syrup, electronics, and more. Yet many of those goods are fake, substandard, dangerous. A bottle of drug you swallow, a cosmetic you smear, a phone battery that overheats—they can harm health, destroy property, even kill. In a country where regulatory oversight is inconsistent and consumer awareness is patchy, knowing your rights is not a luxury—it is a life-saving shield. The fight for consumer protection is not abstract; it is tied to fairness, dignity, and public safety.
At its core, Nigerian law now provides that when you buy a good or service, you are entitled to safety, information, quality, redress, and fair dealing. You cannot be sold poison under the veil of a brand name. You cannot be misled by false claims. When goods are defective or dangerous, you should have remedies—refunds, replacements, damages, or regulatory complaint mechanisms. Over the years, Nigeria has evolved its legal framework. The old Consumer Protection Council (CPC) regime has been superseded by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA), which created the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) as the primary regulatory body. Under this Act, unfair and deceptive practices are prohibited, and consumer complaints may be addressed across sectors.
Alongside, product-specific regulators—such as NAFDAC (for food, drugs, cosmetics) and SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria, for general goods)—enforce standards, registration, and quality rules. When these regulators do their job, dangerous products are identified, traced, seized, and barred. But when they fail, the law anticipates that citizens can demand accountability.
It is not theoretical. In mid-2025, NAFDAC issued an alert about unregistered Fair brand child soap circulating in markets—a product that lacked regulatory approval. That is not just a labelling issue. If a product meant for children lacks proper safety checks, contamination risk, chemical harms increase.
In another spectacle, NAFDAC accused a social media influencer known as “Very Dark Man” of colluding with fake drug merchants—inciting the public to oppose regulatory actions. That case shows how misinformation and regulatory backlash mix dangerously.
Regulators have also stepped up. For example, NAFDAC announced a Greenbook traceability regulation to help consumers identify potentially fake or substandard products. Meanwhile, the FCCPC launched a joint market monitoring taskforce to tackle the flood of counterfeit goods in Nigeria’s markets.
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Beyond cosmetics and soaps, counterfeit electronics, batteries, spare parts, substandard food and drink, and fake medical supplies are widespread. According to analyses, Nigeria ranks among the top countries globally in counterfeit goods seizures.
These stories are not remote. They are the groceries, the medicine, the cosmetics, and gadgets you or I may buy this week. The risk is real; the stakes are your health, your wallet, your life.
At its core, Nigerian law now provides that when you buy a good or service, you are entitled to safety, information, quality, redress, and fair dealing.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA) is the principal law in Nigeria for consumer rights. It gives the FCCPC power to investigate, sanction, require refunds, remove goods from the market, and make regulations.
NAFDAC is empowered under several laws: the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, the Food, Drug and Related Products (Registration) Act, and the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. These laws forbid manufacture, sale, distribution, advertisement of unregistered, counterfeit, adulterated, expired or substandard products.
SON’s statutory mandate is to set standards and regulate product quality for non-food and non-drug goods—appliances, construction materials, electronics, etc.
Constitutionally, though not explicit, consumer protection flows from rights to life, dignity, security, and property. When regulators fail, courts have sometimes intervened to protect consumers.
A significant judicial affirmation came when the Federal High Court upheld that FCCPC has multi-sectoral jurisdiction over consumer complaints even in banking sectors, thereby validating the authority to act against banks for consumer grievances. That ruling signified that consumer protection is not restricted to products but also services.
In a landmark suit, a company (Bluecrest Global Consults) complained to FCCPC about a banking advance payment guarantee (APG) issued by Wema Bank. They alleged unfair practice in refusal to renew and lack of transparency. The bank challenged FCCPC’s power to meddle in banking matters, claiming exclusive jurisdiction lies with federal courts. But the Federal High Court held that FCCPC’s jurisdiction over consumer protection complaints is valid, and that its powers under FCCPA do not conflict with constitutional jurisdiction over banking. The court affirmed that consumers have recourse through FCCPC even against banks.
This case matters because it expands the remedy horizon. It tells Nigerians: your complaint against a service provider—even a bank—can be addressed by FCCPC. Not just product sellers.
When you buy anything—soap, phone, drug—ask: is it registered? Does it have NAFDAC or SON numbers? Is there a label with batch, expiry, manufacturer? Use the Greenbook where available to check traceability.
Keep packaging and receipts. Photograph labels. If goods spoil or fail quickly, report to FCCPC, NAFDAC or SON. Most of these bodies have complaint hotlines and online channels.
Do not swallow “sorry we can’t refund” or “our policy says no return.” Under FCCPA, unfair or deceptive practices that mislead you can be challenged. Demand a refund, replacement, or compensation.
If a product harmed you, medical costs, property damage, or health injury may underpin a lawsuit. Use regulators as first line (to seize dangerous goods), then courts to claim damages.
Support regulatory enforcement. When FCCPC, NAFDAC, SON conduct raids, comply and report suspicious goods. Consumer vigilance and complaints fuel regulatory action. Encourage your market union to blacklist suspicious sellers.
Finally, educate others. Many consumers accept fakes as “normal.” If more Nigerians demand genuine quality, the market shifts.
We live in a marketplace flooded with choices—and dangers. Fake, substandard, adulterated goods hurt our wallets, our bodies, our children. The law gives you rights; regulators hold tools. But until citizens speak up, the flood of fakes will continue. Demand accountability. Report sellers who cheat. Support regulators doing their job. Buy with care. Share what you learn. Know your consumer rights like you know your phone PIN. Because in the end, safer products, fair markets, respected consumers—these are not luxuries, they are the foundations of dignity in today’s Nigeria.
*Daomi is a Lagos-based lawyer, legal analyst, and human rights advocate.
