In a bold move to safeguard Nigerian consumers and sanitize retail markets, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has inaugurated a Joint Market Monitoring Taskforce (JMMT) to enforce compliance with product standards and pricing regulations across major commercial hubs.
The initiative, launched in Abuja on Wednesday, marks a significant shift in the Commission’s operational approach to curbing the proliferation of counterfeit, substandard, and hazardous goods currently saturating Nigerian markets. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Tunji Bello, represented by the Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Boladale Adeyinka, emphasized the urgency of protecting consumers in the face of increasing economic hardship and escalating inflation.
“Our markets are overwhelmed with fake, counterfeit, and substandard consumer products that are unfit, unsafe, and injurious to public health. This initiative is critical at a time when Nigerians are struggling to get value for every naira spent,” Adeyinka said.
Section 17 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) mandates the Commission to identify and remove unsafe goods from circulation, eliminate deceptive trade practices, and improve consumer confidence. The newly inaugurated JMMT will serve as an enforcement arm to implement this directive across the country.
Bello described the JMMT as an essential collaboration platform, comprising regulatory stakeholders, market executives, and union leaders, working collectively to ensure clean, safe, and transparent markets. The taskforce will act as both watchdog and educator—monitoring compliance while also informing vendors of their legal responsibilities.
Four major Abuja markets—Wuse Market, Utako Market, Garki International Market, and Garki Modern Market—will serve as the pilot phase of the nationwide rollout. The FCCPC disclosed that this first phase will inform the structure of subsequent operations across all geopolitical zones.
According to Bello, each JMMT group has been issued a clear set of operational guidelines and terms of reference, with market leaders pledging their commitment to supporting the initiative.
Besides eliminating hazardous goods, the Commission is keen on tackling arbitrary pricing practices. With inflation eroding consumer purchasing power, pricing enforcement has become a critical focus.
“We are not just targeting physical products but also market behavior. Deceptive pricing, hoarding, and inflationary profiteering are practices we intend to bring under control through joint monitoring,” Adeyinka explained.
Consumers are also being called upon to act as whistleblowers. The FCCPC urged Nigerians to report infractions through official communication channels, including its complaint portal, email, social media platforms, and consumer hotlines.
This enforcement campaign aligns with the Federal Government’s broader push for economic reform and consumer protection under the Renewed Hope Agenda. As government efforts intensify to stabilize the economy and boost investor confidence, ensuring that Nigerian markets are free from harmful and exploitative practices remains vital.
Industry experts have welcomed the development, noting that stronger market regulation will not only protect end-users but also create a fairer competitive landscape for businesses operating within legal parameters.
“This is a welcome move. When markets are flooded with fake goods, legitimate businesses lose. Enforcing quality standards helps us all,” said Uche Onyekwere, a consumer rights advocate and business owner in Lagos.
As phase one takes off in Abuja, Nigerians across the country await the taskforce’s expansion to other states, hopeful that the campaign will bring long-overdue discipline to Nigeria’s retail and informal trade sectors.