The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has issued a warning regarding the circulation of substandard and unregistered sugar products in Nigerian markets.
These products, primarily smuggled from Brazil, are not fortified with Vitamin A as required by Nigerian regulations, presenting serious health risks.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday. the FCCPC raised alarms over the circulation of smuggled sugar products, primarily from Brazil, that fail to meet Nigeria’s mandatory Vitamin A fortification requirements.
This failure poses significant health risks to consumers and threatens the local economy by undermining regulatory standards and competing with locally produced, properly fortified sugar.
The statement also revealed that these smuggled sugar products lacked essential labeling, including critical information such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, and NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) registration.
“Many of the identified sugar products lacked normal labeling, including production and expiry dates, batch numbers, and the mandatory National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration. Even more concerning, most of the products were not fortified with Vitamin A, a critical nutrient essential for good vision, immune health, and overall well-being. The absence of this fortification exposes Nigerian consumers to serious health risks, including blindness and increased susceptibility to infections, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women,” they stated.
The commission emphasized that the influx of substandard sugar undermines the local sugar industry by creating unfair competition for compliant producers.
The FCCPC also noted that smugglers frequently manipulate prices to deceive consumers, offering cheaper alternatives that appear more attractive, while putting undue financial pressure on legitimate manufacturers who adhere to regulatory standards.
“The influx of smuggled sugar undermines fair competition, placing undue pressure on compliant local producers who adhere to regulatory standards. Importers of these substandard products engage in price manipulation to the detriment of genuine producers and consumers, while pretending that the products are genuine. This jeopardises the sustainability of the Nigerian sugar industry and also erodes consumer trust in the market,” the statement read.
The FCCPC also noted that porous borders, especially with neighboring countries such as Cameroon and the Benin Republic, exacerbate enforcement challenges and hinder the traceability of smuggled goods.
