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Daniel Adaji
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday, clamped down on traders at the Utako Market in Abuja, sealing several shops for allegedly re-bagging local rice and selling it as premium foreign brands.
Backed by armed police officers, the commission stormed the market and shut down more than five major outlets suspected of deceptive packaging practices involving brands like Royal Stallion and Mama Gold—brands the FCCPC says have not been legally imported into Nigeria since 2015.
Affected shop owners have been summoned to FCCPC headquarters for further investigation.
According to the Director of Surveillance and Investigation at FCCPC, Mrs Boladale Adeyinka, intelligence reports indicated a widespread scheme to exploit consumer trust by passing off Nigerian rice as imported.
“That is exploitative. That is against consumer economic interests,” she said, adding that the commission has confirmed that these rice brands have long exited the Nigerian market.
Adeyinka assured that the commission would pursue due process, confiscate the rebranded products, and impose penalties on violators.
“We have administrative penalties and fines under our law,” she warned. “Anyone who fails to cooperate risks prosecution.”
Under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), false or misleading representations about products are prohibited. Section 125 bars deceptive branding, while Section 138 places liability on all actors within the supply chain.
Reacting to the raid, Igwenma Alex, secretary of the Utako Market Shop Ownership/Traders Association, claimed many traders were unaware that the rice brands had been banned from importation.
“When something is banned, shouldn’t awareness be created for Nigerians?” he queried.
Another trader said he sourced his products from distributors in Kaduna and Kano and would not have stocked the rice if he had known it was illegal.
Consumers have also expressed frustration over the situation.
Michael Onuche, a resident of the Federal Capital Territory, voiced concerns over the trustworthiness of products sold in markets.
“I no longer trust these market people,” he told Pointblank News.
“I prefer to buy local rice directly from market women—unbranded—rather than risk buying fake products from supermarkets,” he said.
This is not the first time the FCCPC has intervened in the food retail sector. In 2024, the commission uncovered expired and mispriced rice in several supermarkets across the Wuse area of Abuja.
The commission’s latest action comes amid growing concerns over food inflation, with rice—a staple food—fast becoming a luxury item in many Nigerian homes.
The deceptive practices in the rice trade have only worsened the burden on consumers while enriching a few unscrupulous players.