Lagos agency flags 238 outlets for consumer safety breaches

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has intensified enforcement activities across the state, inspecting hundreds of retail outlets in a renewed effort to curb the sale of fake, expired, hazardous and substandard products.

The agency disclosed that its Monitoring and Enforcement Department inspected 663 stores and supermarkets between January and June 2026, with 238 outlets found to have violated provisions of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Law.

According to LASCOPA, the inspections covered supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.

The agency said enforcement officers carried out unannounced visits during which they verified product certifications, checked production and expiry dates, assessed storage conditions and confiscated products that failed to meet safety and quality standards.

Speaking on the exercise, the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, said the operation formed part of the agency’s mandate to protect consumers from unsafe products.

Consumer safety is non-negotiable. We are sending a clear message to every operator in the retail value chain: if you trade in fake, expired, hazardous or substandard products and you’re caught, you will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

Solebo reminded retailers that the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Law, 2025, gives consumers the right to return defective goods and urged businesses to return expired, unsafe or substandard products to manufacturers or distributors rather than offer them for sale.

He warned that businesses found selling counterfeit, expired or hazardous products risk closure, seizure of goods and prosecution in accordance with the law.

The LASCOPA boss also appealed to consumers to remain vigilant by checking product labels, authenticity and expiry dates before making purchases and to report suspicious or unsafe products through the agency’s official complaint channels.

He said the agency would continue routine inspections across Lagos to ensure that only safe, high-quality products are available in the state’s markets.