The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is to develop a digital portal for tracking and tackling the menace of counterfeit products in the country.
To achieve this objective, a Joint Inter-Agency Committee was inaugurated on Wednesday in Abuja charged with responsibility of developing a Digital Traceability Portal aimed at tackling counterfeit products and strengthening supply chain transparency nationwide.
The Commission said the portal, which is its flagship initiative, would assign unique QR codes to products, to enable consumers, retailers, manufacturers, and regulators to verify, authenticate and track the origin of products as well as ensure end-to-end product traceability.
At the inauguration of the committee at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, FCCPC, Kola Alabi, said the portal would enhance product integrity and consumer protection in the country.
“As the apex consumer protection regulatory agency, the Commission sought the collaboration of key stakeholders in the development of this platform to ensure traceability and authenticity of products.
“Our goal is to deliver a solution that reduces counterfeiting and addresses other challenges within products supply chain in the country,” he said.
Mr Alabi said the Joint Inter-Agency Committee brings together representatives from critical institutions, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the Anti-Counterfeiting Collaboration (ACC).
The initiative, he pointed out, aligns with the FCCPC’s statutory mandate under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, to promote fair market practices, protect consumers from deceptive trade, and facilitate cross-agency coordination in tackling threats to consumer safety.
He announced that the portal would usher in a new era of digital accountability in Nigeria’s product markets, combat fake goods, and build consumer trust through real-time authentication and supply chain visibility.
