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On August 19, 2026, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (‘FCCPC or the Commission’) issued a Public Advisory on Mandatory Labelling of Manufactured Goods for Consumer Information (the ‘Advisory’), pursuant to Sections 17(p),(w),(x), 114, 116, 123 and 125 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (‘FCCPA’), 2018. The Advisory was prompted by the increasing circulation, distribution, and sale of consumer goods that do not comply with prevailing standards and regulations governing product labelling.

The Advisory directs all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw from sale any consumer goods that do not comply with applicable labelling requirements. It states that businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action.

In light of the above, this insight provides an overview of the regulatory context and key implications of the Advisory for businesses and consumers.

Regulatory Objective

Under the FCCPA, the Commission is mandated to promote consumer safety by ensuring strict adherence to labelling requirements in line with applicable standards set by competent regulatory authorities, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Accordingly, deceptive, incomplete, or misleading product labelling violates consumers’ right to the information required to make informed purchasing decisions and may expose them to health, safety, and economic risks. The Advisory addresses these concerns.

1. Scope and Applicability:

The Advisory is directed at all participants in the supply chain for manufactured consumer goods. Specifically, it applies to:

– manufacturers of consumer goods;

– importers of consumer goods into Nigeria;

– distributors and wholesalers;

– retailers and vendors selling directly to consumers; and

– consumers purchasing manufactured goods.

2. What Should Stakeholders Know?

The Advisory raises several important compliance and practical implications for businesses and consumers, including the following:

a. Mandatory Labelling Requirements: All manufactured consumer goods must bear complete and accurate labelling information, including production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, and country of origin. Non-compliant products must be withdrawn from sale immediately.

b. Prohibition of Deceptive or Misleading Labels: The Advisory specifically targets products bearing misleading or deceptive information, as well as products with missing, illegible, altered, or misrepresented labels. Such labelling violates consumers’ right to information and may expose them to significant health, safety, and economic risks.

c. Immediate Inventory Review and Withdrawal Directive: The Commission has directed all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw from sale any consumer goods that do not comply with applicable labelling requirements. This is a direct compliance obligation, not merely advisory guidance.

d. Enforcement Action for Non-Compliance: Businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action under the FCCPA. While the Advisory does not specify specific penalties, the FCCPA empowers the Commission to impose significant sanctions for violations of its consumer protection provision such as administrative penalties, orders requiring monetary restitution, refunds, repairs or replacement of non-compliant goods.

e. Consumer Guidance: Consumers are advised to carefully examine product labels before purchase and to avoid products with missing, illegible, altered, misrepresented, or poor-quality labels, as well as those bearing false claims or misleading information. Report suspected cases of non-compliance promptly through the Commission’s official complaint channels.

3. Conclusion

The FCCPC’s Advisory underscores the Commission’s commitment to strengthening nationwide market surveillance and enforcement activities in collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities such as SON and NAFDAC, whilst it signals a more proactive regulatory posture toward product labelling compliance.

Accordingly, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers should conduct immediate audits of their product labelling practices and inventory to ensure full compliance with applicable labelling standards, given the risk of regulatory enforcement action. Businesses engaged in the manufacture, importation, distribution, or sale of consumer goods should seek guidance from qualified legal and regulatory professionals to ensure compliance with the applicable labelling requirements under the FCCPA and standards set by SON, NAFDAC, and other competent regulatory authorities.

Nimma Jo-Madugu, Partner and Michael Arinze and Chikaodinaka Monwuba, Associates – KENNA LP’s Corporate and Commercial Law Practice Unit

The Legal Insights column by KENNA provides thought leadership on the legal and business issues shaping today’s commercial landscape.

Apple shares came under pressure on Wednesday after the company unveiled its latest iPhone lineup which includes its first foldable smartphone.

This is as investors assessed whether the new products can provide enough momentum to justify the company’s elevated valuation.

Apple shares opened at $315.50 on September 9, compared with Tuesday’s closing price of $316.22. The stock fell as low as $310.97, representing a decline of $5.25, or about 1.66 percent, from the previous close, before recovering some of the losses.

The company presented the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Its first foldable iPhone, dubbed iPhone Duo, as well as new AirPods and Apple Watch models.

The shares later recovered some of the losses and were trading around $315.11, according to market data.

The reaction came despite what could be one of Apple’s most significant product launches in years. The iPhone Duo represents the company’s entry into the foldable smartphone market, while the event also marked the first major product presentation under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1.

The foldable iPhone Duo will start at $1,999 and is expected to go on sale on October 23. Apple also priced the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, representing $100 increases over their predecessors, according to Investor’s Business Daily.

The muted stock reaction suggests that investors were looking beyond the launch and towards what the products could mean for Apple’s revenue growth, margins and competitive position.

Why Apple shares did not surge after the launch

For Apple, a major product announcement does not translate into an immediate rise in its share price.

Many of the information surrounding the iPhone launch had already been anticipated by investors and widely reported before the event. This may reduce the potential for a major positive surprise when Apple finally unveils the products.

Dow Jones Market Data showed that Apple shares have historically fallen an average of 0.31 percent on days when the company introduces new smartphones.

Foldable iPhone raises the stakes for Apple

The iPhone Duo could become important to Apple’s longer-term growth strategy.

Apple entered the foldable market later than several competitors, but the company is betting that its ecosystem, brand strength and hardware-software integration can help it establish a premium position in the category.

The device opens into a 7.6-inch display and supports Apple Pencil functionality, making it more than a smaller version of an existing iPhone.

The $1,999 starting price also positions the device at the premium end of the market. For Apple, that creates an opportunity to increase revenue per device if consumers are willing to pay for a new one.

However, the company will need to demonstrate that the foldable can expand the iPhone market rather than shift existing customers from conventional premium models.

AI remains a bigger question for investors

Beyond the hardware, Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy remains one of the issues investors are watching most closely.

Ternus presented the iPhone as an ‘intelligent personal hub’ with an upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence features forming part of the company’s broader software strategy.

Apple said its AI capabilities will rely on on-device processing where possible and private cloud computing when greater processing power is required.

This also matters because Apple has faced questions over whether it is moving quickly enough in generative AI compared with rivals such as Alphabet and other major technology companies.

The new iPhone has to do more than sell hardware. Apple needs the device to demonstrate that its AI strategy can strengthen the ecosystem that keeps customers buying iPhones, subscribing to services and remaining within Apple’s platform.

Ternus early test

The market reaction also puts an early spotlight on Ternus.

His first major product launch as CEO was closely watched because he inherited a company with enormous financial strength but also significant expectations around its next phase of growth.

The former hardware engineering chief now has to convince investors that Apple can continue producing products capable of creating new revenue opportunities while maintaining the margins and customer loyalty built during Cook’s tenure.

The initial share-price reaction suggests investors are not yet ready to give the new products a blank cheque.

Instead, Wall Street will likely judge the launch over the coming months through pre-orders, sales of the iPhone Duo, holiday-season demand and Apple’s financial results.

For Apple, Wednesday’s launch is likely less about whether investors liked the presentation and more about whether the new products can translate excitement into higher sales and sustained earnings growth.

The Federal Government on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to the successful conclusion of the ongoing job evaluation in the health sector as part of efforts to arrive at fair salaries in the sector, as part of the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) process.

This is as the government described the job evaluation exercise as ‘critical to achieving a fair, evidence-based and sustainable remuneration structure for health professionals’.

The commitment was reiterated at a meeting of the Government Side of the ongoing Health Sector CBA negotiations, chaired by the Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment, alongside Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health.

Dingyadi, speaking at the event, said the decision to prioritise job evaluation was aimed at providing an objective basis for determining the relative worth, responsibilities, skills, qualifications and working conditions associated with the various health professions and cadres in the Public Service.

The job evaluation process, BusinessDay gathered, was introduced as part of the long-lasting measures to address the issue of salaries and strikes, which had almost crippled the Nigerian healthcare system.

The negotiations had covered areas such as remuneration, working conditions, professional development and welfare, with the government adding that it remained committed to addressing the concerns of health workers within the framework of constructive dialogue and collective bargaining.

The Minister explained that the exercise was particularly important in view of the differing positions and historical agreements involving various health professional groups, which had contributed to longstanding issues of relativity, parity and salary structures within the sector.

BusinessDay gathered that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) is undertaking the job evaluation exercise to establish appropriate placement for health professionals and cadres

It is also expected that the outcome will provide a credible basis for subsequent discussions on salary adjustments and other outstanding issues under the CBA.

According to Dingyadi, the government considers it necessary to allow the technical process to run its course rather than take decisions that could create fresh disparities or further complicate industrial relations in the health sector.

He emphasised that job evaluation should not be interpreted as a postponement or abandonment of collective bargaining, but as a strategic step designed to strengthen the bargaining process with objective data and ensure that eventual agreements are equitable, transparent and sustainable.

The Minister recalled that the Health Sector Collective Bargaining Committee was formally inaugurated in August 2025 to provide a structured platform for engagement with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and other stakeholders.

The Federal Government said it recognises the invaluable contributions of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, radiographers, physiotherapists and other health professionals to the nation’s healthcare system and remains committed to ensuring that their welfare is addressed within a framework that promotes equity, industrial harmony and uninterrupted healthcare delivery.

It also reiterated that dialogue and collective bargaining remain the preferred mechanisms for resolving outstanding issues in the health sector, urging all parties to approach the process in good faith and with a shared commitment to finding lasting solutions.

The Federal Government therefore assured health workers and the Nigerian public that the CBA process remains an important component of its efforts to strengthen industrial relations, improve workforce welfare and build a more stable and effective health system.

The Minister added that government ‘remains committed to a fair, transparent and evidence-based resolution of all outstanding issues in the health sector’.

Present at the meeting were the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation; the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; representatives of the Honourable Ministers of Finance and Justice; representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.