Unilever Nigeria partners with Nigeria Customs Service to fight counterfeit products
For Unilever Nigeria, the partnership reinforces its commitment to working closely with regulators to fight counterfeiting and illicit trade, while expanding cooperation through further engagements nationwide.
NIGERIA – Unilever Nigeria Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in a strategic move designed to protect consumers, reinforce legitimate trade, and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests.
The MoU establishes a formal, structured framework for joint action against counterfeit and illicit trade, with the shared goal of improving supply‑chain visibility and ensuring only authentic, verified products reach Nigerian consumers.
The partners highlight that counterfeit goods present serious public‑health risks, weaken consumer confidence, distort fair competition, and drain government revenue.
The two companies stress that every consumer in Nigeria should be able to trust that the products they purchase are safe, genuine, and meet expected quality standards.
Tobi Adeniyi, Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc, described the agreement as a pivotal step in the broader fight against counterfeiting.
Tobi stated, “Counterfeiting poses a significant threat to public health, businesses, and the broader economy.”
“It undermines consumer trust and creates an uneven playing field for legitimate businesses.”
He added, “This partnership reflects our commitment to protecting consumers and preserving the integrity of the marketplace.”
By combining Unilever’s brand and product expertise with Customs’ enforcement reach, the MoU is intended to strengthen market integrity, protect consumers from substandard or unsafe goods, and support legitimate manufacturers operating in Nigeria.
In a move to fight counterfeit products, Unilever recently developed the “Vaseline Authenticator” to complement regulatory enforcement with a direct, accessible consumer solution.
Vaseline launched the campaign in Nigeria to tackle rampant counterfeiting of skincare products, enlisting Prince Chris Okagbue of the Onitsha Kingdom as its prominent ambassador.
The campaign line, “Don’t let fakes get under your skin”, ties together product safety and brand messaging.
Similarly, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert on unregistered and suspected counterfeit Colgate toothpaste circulating in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
This move follows NAFDAC’s Post‑Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Directorate receiving a tip‑off about the distribution of unregistered and suspected counterfeit Colgate toothpaste in Kaduna, prompting an on‑site inspection of a retail outlet.
Officers reportedly seized two suspect variants, marketed under names such as “Coglaet ActivGel 100g” and “Coglaet Herbal 100g”, that mimic Colgate branding but are not duly registered with the agency.
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