Expert Advocates Stricter Post-product Regulatory Oversight by Authorities

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Executive Director, Research and Strategy of the Centre for Consumer Concern and Initiative, Prince Taofiq Bello-Aromire, yesterday advocated a stricter post-product regulatory oversight by the authorities.

He said this was predicated on the belief that strong product safety enforcement is necessary to safeguard Nigerian consumers, promote fair competition, encourage innovation, and instill consumer confidence in safe items that reach the market.

The director, who stated these during an interactive session with THISDAY on consumer protection and post-product monitoring in Osogbo, Osun State capital, noted that: “It is undeniable that most Nigerians consumers deserve right to pursue restitution and compensation if product causes them harm

Bello-Aromire posited that most Nigerians do not know their right to pursue restitution and compensation if a product causes them harm.

He noted that evidently, the problems of inadequate sensitisation, low literacy, and regulatory laxity lie at the core of such reality.

According to him, “Even for the well-informed, the customarily drawn-out process of seeking justice for a product danger through either traditional courts or regulators’ resolution processes is a significant deterrent.

“Given this situation, it is reasonable to say that the majority of consumers do not receive the desired value and satisfaction from the use of the product or service.”

He stressed that although a responsible manufacturer is supposed to guarantee the security of its customers, regulators have a greater responsibility to guarantee adherence to production and safety requirements.

Bello-Aromire said: “But what is evident is that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the National Administration of Food Drug and Administration (NAFDAC)-the three main consumer protection regulatory bodies-do not effectively monitor products after they are manufactured or certified for public consumption, perhaps for lack of adequate funding.

“The truth is, a manufacturer will rather spend less to produce a product while hoping to reap a bounty of profit, thus the tendency to comprise product composition and stipulated specifications even after obtaining certification or approval of such product.

“What is more concerning is the amount of subpar or uncontrolled consumer goods, particularly imported dairy and cosmetics that are flooding the Nigerian market. There are instances where the labeling on these products is printed in languages other than English, endangering the purchasers’ right to information and ultimately knowledge of what is fit for their health.

“In the event that the aforementioned scenario results in product harm, it is implausible that a consumer would hold the producer accountable or that the regulator would be able to call for evidence about the product in question.”