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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to withdraw the sale of consumer goods that do not comply with mandatory product labelling requirements.
The Commission said businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk regulatory enforcement action.
The FCCPC disclosed this in a public advisory issued on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, titled “Mandatory Labelling of Manufactured Goods for Consumer Information.”
The advisory followed findings from the Commission’s market surveillance, routine inspections and quality assurance activities, which it said revealed consumer goods carrying misleading or deceptive information, as well as products missing key labelling details.
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According to the Commission, some of the products lacked production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin and other mandatory information required on product labels.
What they are saying
The FCCPC said its mandate under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) includes promoting consumer safety by ensuring businesses comply with applicable labelling requirements and standards set by regulatory authorities such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The Commission said proper labelling is necessary to enable consumers to obtain the information they need before making purchasing decisions.
It warned that deceptive, incomplete or misleading labels can deny consumers important information about products and expose them to health, safety and economic risks. The FCCPC’s consumer-rights guidance similarly recognises consumers’ right to clear product information and proper labelling.
- “Accordingly, the Commission directs all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw from sale any consumer goods that do not comply with applicable labelling requirements. Businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action.”
The Commission also urged consumers to examine product labels carefully before buying goods and avoid products with missing, illegible, altered, misrepresented or poor-quality labels.
Get up to speed
The FCCPC’s mandate includes protecting consumers’ right to information and ensuring that businesses provide accurate information about the goods and services they sell. Under its consumer guidance, businesses are required to provide information in a manner that consumers can easily understand, while misleading or deceptive representations are prohibited.
- The importance of product labelling is also highlighted by findings from a 2023 study examining awareness of the risks associated with unlabelled food products among undergraduates in three Lagos State tertiary institutions — Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and Lagos State University of Education (LASUED).
- The study, which surveyed undergraduates, found that 57.4% of respondents were unaware that unlabelled and unbranded food products were being sold within tertiary institution communities. At the same time, 73.3% said they would not buy an unlabelled food product if labelled alternatives were available.
The findings suggest that awareness of the risks does not necessarily translate into safer purchasing behaviour, highlighting the importance of both consumer education and effective enforcement of labelling standards.
The FCCPC has also taken enforcement action over other consumer protection violations.
- In April, the Commission sealed First Place Supermarket in Guzape, Abuja, after an inspection prompted by consumer complaints. Officials found discrepancies between shelf and checkout prices, products without price tags, expired goods, improper storage of perishables and suspected counterfeit products, including rice.
What you should know
In a separate but related consumer protection effort, the FCCPC has also been investigating the cement industry over concerns about pricing.
- The Commission’s industry-wide investigation suggested possible manipulation of cement prices in Nigeria and prompted a probe of key players in the sector. The investigation followed concerns over Nigeria’s comparatively high retail cement prices despite its substantial limestone deposits, domestic production capacity and reported surplus installed capacity.
The Commission has previously taken action over cement pricing. In 2024, it criticised dealers for selling BUA Cement for between N7,000 and N8,000 per bag, compared with the company’s recommended price of N3,500 at the time.
