WCRD 2026: Consumer protection is the responsibility of everyone in the value chain

By Amechi Obiakpu

The Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) conveyed a gathering of stakeholders on Friday, March 13, to celebrate the 2026 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) – an annual event celebrated globally to draw attention to the plight of consumers.

The event hosted by Rite Foods Ltd, a leading indigenous company in Nigeria, at its Ososa factory, Ogun State, provided an opportunity for journalists and stakeholders present to tour its facility in a bid to appreciate the importance the company attaches to the safety of its products.

Themed, “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” this year’s theme aims at ensuring consumer safety by promoting the removal of hazardous products from the market, fostering trust in goods, and highlighting shared responsibility among governments and businesses for consumer protection.

In his opening remark, Olufemi Ajileye, General Manager in charge of Operations at Rite Foods Ltd, described Rite Foods Ltd as a world class company ranked among the best in the world.

“At Rite Foods, we are committed to continuous improvement of our people and that is why we follow every regulatory laws to the latter and invest in skilled and man power of our workers”.
Ajileye noted that, since the indigenous company disrupted the CSD industry several years ago- an industry that was hitherto dominated by two players, it has deliberately remained at the top of the mind of it’s consumers by not just offering safe products but creating conducive environment for its production line.

“Every year, we send samples of our water abroad to ensure safety of the water against heavy metal  and all. We work with trusted vendors and have some of the best equipments brought in from abroad,” Ajileye noted.

Speaking during her keynote address, consumer advocate and Founder, Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), Hon. Sola Salako-Ajulo, said when a consumer is confident, he spends more time in a market.

However, according to her, many Nigerians are confused about their rights- leading to them getting their rights trampled- not being able to demand for better services.

“When business ignores your complaints, you don’t know where to go, and after that, they will leave it to God. The worst people do now is go to social media handle and write. Sometimes they will respond if they gain traction. Most times, they just sit long and go on because they feel there’s nothing you can do to them”.

“Unfortunately, they are wrong because if we know our rights we can demand for better services,” Salako-Ajulo added.

“As of today, we are better at infrastructure, we are better at laws, but there’s still a weakness in how consumers understand their own rights and be able to speak of themselves, because they are unsure of where to go and seek for help. And the fact has been established that consumer confidence is the oxygen of markets,” she averred.

Mrs. Salako-Ajulo who have been a consumer advocate for more than two decades emphasised that, the need to get Nigerians know their rights against ‘abusive’ tendencies of service providers made her organisation to design an AI powered platform called CAFON Consumers Companion (3C).

3C, she noted understands Nigeria consumer rights and is designed to answer any issues associated with consumer rights and how to demand for them.

While observing that consumer protection is a responsibility of all in the value chain, Salako-Ajulo called on all consumers to educate themselves on their rights which is one of the ways they can be confident consumers.

Corroborating Mrs. Ajulo’s position, Dr. Olubunmi Otti, Zonal Co-Ordinator, Southwest, Federal Consumer Competition Protection Commission (FCCPC), opined that a well informed consumer makes better decisions.

For her, WCRD offers opportunity to reflect on the  consumers, even as she charged that confident in the market place begins with trust from all parties.
On her part, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye National Agency for Food And Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) noted that WCRD reminds us that consumers are not passive participants in the market place, they are central stakeholders.

Speaking through Dr. Tinuola Akinnubi, Deputy Director, Food Regulation, Focal point for Alcohol,  NAFDAC, she said protecting the consumer is not only a responsibility of the regulators but a shared responsibility by all stakeholders: “Consumers must demand good services at all time and journalists must move beyond  discussions into commitment to report facts”.

Dr. Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s position of ensuring that no product that compromises public health thrives in Nigeria.

The event climaxed with a presentation by Olaniyi Aderuku, Brand Manager, Fearless energy drink. He described the brand as not only about physical performance but mental alertness.

The number one energy brand comes in two flavours; Classic and Red berry. The brand target audience is people between ages 18 and 35, students, working class and entrepreneurs who are daring, aspirational and energetic.

Speaking earlier in his remark, Daniel Obi, BJAN Chairman said, the WCRD celebrated annually by BJAN is in commemoration with the global celebration to draw attention to consumers all over, in a bid to demand better services for them.

He noted as a body covering consumerism it behoves on BJAN to sustain the celebration it started more than a decade ago. He also thanked  Rite Foods Ltd for supporting to make this year’s celebration a success.

“WCRD is celebrated every March 15 globally, because this year’s celebration falls on a Sunday, we decided to celebrate it March 13.

“We appreciate Rite Foods Ltd for opening it’s doors to us to celebrate this year’s event especially with the theme: ‘Safe Products, Confident Consumers’,  it tells us they have nothing to hide simply by inviting us to their factory,” Obi noted.

*Photo shows (L-R) Goddie Ofose of Industry news, Ekuma Eze, Corp Com head, Rite Foods, Sola Salako-Ajulo, Founder CAFON, Olufemi Ajileye of Rite Foods, Dr. Tinuola Akinnubi of NAFDAC, Dan Obi, Chairman, BJAN, Dr. Olubunmi Otti of FCCPC, Afolabi Idowu and Lukam Ishau, BJAN’ erstwhile Chairman and current VC respectively.

Do you have a compelling story to tell? Contact us via our email: espinewsng@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 08032519246.