|By Adejumo Adekunle-
-Commission targets grassroots with bold reforms
-Dawanau market leaders pledge support for consumer rights drive
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has kickstarted a new wave of market reforms with a strategic engagement at the Dawanau International Grains Market in Kano, aiming to restore transparency and curb exploitative practices across the country.
Speaking to traders on Wednesday, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the commission is deepening grassroots-level intervention to protect consumers and reposition the Nigerian marketplace for integrity-driven commerce.
“Our presence here is not to police, but to partner — ensuring that fairness, transparency, and quality define every transaction,” Bello stated.
The Kano outreach forms part of the commission’s national campaign to stamp out harmful market behaviours such as the repackaging of substandard products as premium goods and the arbitrary inflation of prices.
“Unscrupulous practices like these hurt everyone — the buyer, the genuine trader, and the country at large,” Bello warned, noting that consumer protection is not only a legal mandate but also a critical tool for economic growth.
Reacting to the commission’s visit, President of the Dawanau Market Development Association, Alhaji Muttaqa Isa, described the engagement as “long overdue” and pledged full cooperation from the traders.
“As market leaders, we take it upon ourselves to ensure that what we sell reflects true value, not deceit,” Isa said. “We will continue to sensitise our members on fair pricing and product integrity. Quality is non-negotiable.”
Isa further assured the FCCPC of the market’s readiness to collaborate in ending product adulteration and other unfair practices that erode consumer confidence and threaten public health.
The FCCPC’s grassroots push reflects a broader effort to ensure that markets operate within the bounds of fairness and accountability, especially at a time when Nigerians are grappling with rising food prices and economic pressure.
By reinforcing standards at the local level, the commission hopes to build a market system where trust, competition, and quality drive transactions — not manipulation or exploitation.
