The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it has expanded its market surveillance and product testing to electrical and electronics products to ensure strict regulatory compliance.
The commission also said it is extending market surveillance to cables and other building materials due to significant product safety issues related to collapsed buildings.
Boladale Adeyinka, director of the surveillance and investigations department at FCCPC, said the commission had continued to encounter products that did not meet basic safety and quality standards.
Mrs Adeyinka spoke on behalf of Tunji Bello, executive vice-chairman of the FCCPC.
She noted that when business conduct raised concerns about consumer safety, the commission would investigate.
Mrs Adeyinka said the commission was coordinating with various sector regulators to address weaknesses that permitted unsafe products to enter or remain in the market.
“When a product presents a risk, the law requires prompt collective action, including product withdrawal, product recall, and proper notice to the consumer.
“If you are producing products in Nigeria and you discover there is a safety concern or likely to be a safety concern with respect to products that you have rolled out in the market, you have an obligation to withdraw and recall them,” she said.
“You also give notice to consumers who have purchased those products to be able to make the remedial actions, particularly with products that may significantly affect the lives of consumers of those products,” Mrs Adeyinka noted.
According to her, these are not optional expectations but legal requirements under the country’s law.
“They are statutory duties to ensure product safety and consumer welfare in Nigeria. Failure to act responsibly by recalling, withdrawing, and issuing a consumer notice will attract a strict regulatory response from the commission. Compliance is not a favour to the regulator,” she said.
Mrs Adeyinka said the commission remained committed to effectively monitoring and enforcing compliance across the market.
She said that safe and reliable markets depend on responsible business conduct, effective regulation and informed consumer participation.
Mrs Adeyinka called on consumers to remain informed, vigilant, and engaged.
She urged consumers to report product concerns where they arose to the commission’s hotline or the website for action.
“If you suspect any product in the market, even if you are not buying it, please just alert us on our hotline or on the website.
“Just give us the location of the product. You can snap it and send it to us on WhatsApp, include the location and address, and provide as much information as you can to help us take action and remove such products from the market.
“You will be saving not only yourself, but even a significant number of consumers that could be members of your family that you don’t know,” she said.
(NAN)