FCFA Urges FCCPC and NAFDAC to Publish Scope Rules Before Joint Enforcement Begins

LAGOS, NIGERIA — The Foundation for Consumer Freedom Advancement (FCFA) today urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to publish explicit boundaries for their new joint enforcement Memorandum of Understanding before operations begin. The MoU, signed in Abuja on May 6, gives both regulators a structured channel for information exchange and coordinated action against substandard goods, unsafe pharmaceuticals, and deceptive advertising.

FCCPC has a strong recent record: over ₦10 billion recovered for consumers between March and August 2025, and 521 digital lenders brought under registered oversight ahead of the January 2026 DEON deadline. Those are real consumer wins. But the moment two regulators share enforcement powers, the risk shifts from under-protection to overreach, and the people who pay are the small retailers and final consumers.

"Coordinated regulators are a powerful tool. Powerful tools demand discipline. Nigerian consumers will benefit when FCCPC and NAFDAC move faster against counterfeit drugs and outright fraud. They will not benefit if the new partnership becomes a vehicle for removing legal products that some regulators simply disapprove of."

— Olumayowa Okediran, Chairman of the Foundation for Consumer Freedom Advancement

Three Safeguards Before Joint Enforcement Begins

FCFA called on FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman Tunji Bello and NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye to publish three specific safeguards before joint enforcement begins: clear written criteria defining what constitutes a joint enforcement target, transparent appeal mechanisms for businesses and consumers affected by joint operations, and a thirty-day industry and civil society consultation window.