The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has issued a directive mandating supermarkets and grocery stores across the state to display prices on their products, News About Nigeria reports.
The agency warned that failure to comply with this regulation could result in fines or even closure of the stores.
In a statement released on Saturday via the official website of the Lagos State Government, LASCOPA stressed the importance of transparency in pricing to protect consumers from potential exploitation.
The agency noted that the absence of price tags on products can lead to misunderstandings and inconveniences during transactions.
Afolabi Solebo, the General Manager of LASCOPA, stressed that the lack of price tags violates consumer rights as enshrined in the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Law.
He stated that without clear price tags, shoppers are unable to compare prices or make informed decisions about their purchases, thereby undermining their consumer rights.
Solebo stated that such practices contradict the Consumer Protection Act, which mandates the clear display of prices for goods and services.
He warned that non-compliance with the law would result in fines in accordance with consumer protection laws, and the agency would not hesitate to seal supermarkets found guilty of non-disclosure of price tags.
The statement urged consumers to report any instances of non-compliance to LASCOPA, stressing the agency’s commitment to enforcing price transparency standards across supermarkets and grocery stores in Lagos State.
This crackdown on price transparency in Lagos follows a similar incident in February, where the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission sealed a popular supermarket in Abuja, Sahad Store, for lack of transparency in pricing practices.
