…warns retailers over counterfeit, expired products
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has intensified routine inspections of supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets across the state in a renewed effort to eliminate counterfeit, expired, hazardous and substandard products from the marketplace.
The enforcement exercise, led by the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, is aimed at protecting consumers by identifying retailers and distributors stocking products that pose health and safety risks.
During the inspections, officials conduct unannounced visits to retail outlets, verify product certifications, check manufacturing and expiry dates, assess storage conditions and confiscate products that fail to meet required safety and quality standards.
Speaking on the initiative, Solebo reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to consumer protection, stressing that consumer safety remains a top priority.
He warned that operators involved in the sale of fake, expired, hazardous or substandard products would face the full weight of the law, describing the crackdown as a determined effort to safeguard the health of Lagos residents.
Solebo said LASCOPA, established under the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Law, 2025 (as amended), is mandated to protect consumers’ rights and promote fair trade practices. He urged owners of supermarkets, grocery stores, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets to return expired, unsafe or defective products to suppliers rather than offering them for sale.
According to him, the agency’s Monitoring and Enforcement Department inspected 663 stores and supermarkets between January and June 2026, with 238 outlets found to have violated the state’s Consumer Protection Law. He added that the inspections covered businesses across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of Lagos State.
The LASCOPA boss warned that offending businesses risk closure, seizure of products, prosecution and other sanctions provided by law, urging consumers to remain vigilant by checking product information before purchase and reporting suspicious or unsafe products through the agency’s official complaint channels.
