The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has intensified its routine inspection and enforcement operations across supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets in a renewed effort to rid the state’s marketplace of counterfeit, expired, hazardous and substandard products.
The enforcement exercise, led by the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, is aimed at safeguarding consumers by identifying retailers and distributors dealing in products that pose significant health and safety risks.
As part of the operation, LASCOPA officials are conducting unannounced inspections to verify product certifications, examine production and expiry dates, assess storage conditions and confiscate products that fail to meet established safety and quality standards.
Speaking on the initiative, Solebo reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting 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. This is a battle we are determined to win for every Lagosian,” he said.
The LASCOPA boss noted that the agency, established under the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Law, 2025 (as amended), is mandated to protect consumers’ rights and promote fair trade practices. He explained that the law grants consumers the right to return defective goods and urged operators of supermarkets, grocery stores, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets to return expired, unsafe, defective or substandard products to their suppliers rather than offering them for sale.
Providing an update on the agency’s enforcement activities, Solebo disclosed that LASCOPA’s Monitoring and Enforcement Department inspected 663 stores and supermarkets between January and June 2026.
According to him, 238 grocery stores, supermarkets, markets, shopping malls and other retail outlets were found to have violated the Lagos State Consumer Protection Law during the period.
He added that the inspections covered retail outlets across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State.
Solebo warned that businesses found selling counterfeit, expired, hazardous or substandard products risk immediate closure, seizure of the offending products, prosecution and other sanctions as stipulated under the state’s consumer protection laws.
He also advised consumers to remain vigilant by checking product information, including expiry dates and certification labels, before making purchases. He urged residents to report suspicious, counterfeit, expired or unsafe products through LASCOPA’s official complaint channels.
The General Manager reiterated that LASCOPA remains committed to protecting consumers’ rights, promoting fair trade practices and ensuring that only safe, genuine and quality products are available in Lagos markets.
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