The Federal Consumer Competition and Protection Commission (FCCPC) has initiated efforts to engage with markets and supermarkets to inform operators and traders about consumer rights and regulations regarding price fixing.

Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, the acting executive vice chairman of the FCCPC, announced this in Abuja during a one-day awareness workshop for students from Nigerian tertiary institutions organized by the FCCPC.

The FCCPC had previously urged consumers to report suspected price gouging and other unfair trade practices, asserting that it would not remain passive while Nigerian consumers are exploited.

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Adamu emphasized the importance of educating traders and supermarket operators on the relevant laws to ensure compliance and prevent the need for sanctions.

The FCCPC boss stated that the commission had begun advocacy visits to open markets and supermarkets nationwide to educate operators and traders on the stipulations of consumer protection laws.

He said: "For instance, you can’t go to the market and see a particular price tag on an item and when you go to pick it, they will tell you the price is higher, it is misleading and deceptive and the law does not allow that.

“Also, those traders in the open markets form associations on different food items like yam, egg, rice and others and sit down to fix prices of such items.

They become a cartel of price fixing and we at FCCPC are going there to tell them the law is against that."

He mentioned that the commission is currently conducting sensitization campaigns and that sanctions will be imposed on those who violate the regulations afterwards.

FCCPC officials had earlier uncovered dishonest rice packaging by some rice traders to deliberately deceive and take advantage of consumers.