World Consumer Rights Day: Regulators, Manufacturers, Stakeholders Advocate Greater Responsibility Across Value Chain

Consumer rights advocates, regulators, manufacturers and media professionals have emphasised that effective consumer protection can only be achieved when all stakeholders across the value chain play their respective roles responsibly.

The call was made at the weekend, during a programme organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria to mark the World Consumer Rights Day 2026, themed “Safe Products, Confident Consumers.”

The event, hosted by Rite Foods Limited at its manufacturing facility in Ososa, Ogun State, featured discussions on consumer protection as well as a guided tour of the company’s production plant.

The 2026 theme highlighted the need to ensure product safety, eliminate hazardous goods from the market and strengthen public trust, while encouraging governments and businesses to uphold their responsibilities to consumers.

Speaking at the event, the General Manager for Operations at Rite Foods Limited, Olufemi Ajileye, described the company as a world-class organisation committed to global standards in quality and safety.

HeHe said the firm complies strictly with regulatory requirements and continues to invest in advanced technology and skilled personnel to enhance operational efficiency.

Ajileye noted that since entering Nigeria’s carbonated soft drink market, previously dominated by two major players, the company has prioritised product safety and high production standards as key strategies for building and sustaining consumer trust.

According to him, rigorous quality control procedures are applied to all products, including periodic laboratory testing of water samples abroad to confirm the absence of contaminants such as heavy metals.

In her keynote address, consumer rights advocate and founder of the Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, CAFON, Sola Salako-Ajulo, described consumer confidence as essential to economic activity. She explained that confident consumers are more willing to participate in market transactions but noted that many Nigerians still lack adequate awareness of their rights.

Salako-Ajulo observed that consumers often feel powerless when companies fail to address complaints, leaving them uncertain about how to seek redress. While some turn to social media to express grievances, she said such efforts rarely produce consistent results unless they attract widespread public attention.

“Consumer confidence is the oxygen of any market,” she said, acknowledging improvements in Nigeria’s consumer protection laws but pointing to a persistent gap in public education.

To help bridge this gap, she disclosed that CAFON has developed an artificial intelligence-powered platform known as the CAFON Consumers Companion (3C), designed to educate Nigerians about their rights and guide them through dispute resolution processes.

Also speaking, the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, Olubunmi Otti, said informed consumers are better positioned to make sound purchasing decisions.

She noted that World Consumer Rights Day provides an opportunity each year to review consumer welfare and strengthen trust between businesses and customers.

Similarly, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by Dr. Tinuola Akinnubi, stressed that consumers are central to the marketplace and should not be treated as passive participants.

She said protecting consumers requires collaboration among regulators, businesses, journalists and the public.

Adeyeye urged consumers to consistently demand quality products and services, while encouraging journalists to maintain factual and responsible reporting on consumer issues.

Earlier, the Chairman of BJAN, Daniel Obi, said the association organises the annual programme to align with global efforts aimed at highlighting consumer concerns and promoting improved service delivery.

He added that BJAN has sustained the initiative for more than a decade as part of its commitment to raising public awareness on consumer issues.