CDA Consult calls on stakeholders to back fight against substandard and counterfeit products

The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA CONSULT) has stepped up nationwide mobilisation for its consumer protection campaign, “Verify Before You Buy”, urging Ghanaians to make product verification a routine practice before making purchases.

The organisation said the campaign seeks to redefine the concept of smart shopping by encouraging consumers to look beyond price and consider product quality, authenticity and credibility before buying.

“Smart shopping is not more than finding a good price. It means checking quality, authenticity and credibility before purchasing,” CDA CONSULT Executive Director, Mr. Francis Ameyibor, said during a strategic engagement in Accra.

The “Verify Before You Buy” initiative is a nationwide consumer empowerment and protection advocacy programme designed to transform consumers from passive buyers into active participants in ensuring market safety.

The campaign targets challenges such as counterfeit products, expired goods, mislabelled items and fraudulent practices, which continue to affect consumers across physical markets, retail outlets and online platforms.

To address these concerns, CDA CONSULT is promoting a shared responsibility model involving consumers, regulatory institutions and law enforcement agencies.

The initiative is built around four key pillars—education, awareness, action and protection—with regulators and law enforcement agencies serving as critical partners in verification and enforcement.

“The goal is to make pre-purchase verification a social norm while ensuring that violations trigger fast, credible consequences,” Mr. Ameyibor explained.

He called on regulators, manufacturers, dealers, law enforcement agencies and the general public to support the campaign, stressing that protecting consumers and legitimate businesses requires collective action.

Mr. Ameyibor said the campaign seeks to create a marketplace where product safety and authenticity become non-negotiable standards, with every stakeholder playing a role in preventing harm.

He emphasised that the initiative shifts product safety responsibility from being solely a duty of manufacturers and regulators to a shared accountability system involving consumers.

Dr. Prince Kofi Kludjeson, Board Chairman of CDA CONSULT and former President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), said consumers are a critical part of the supply chain and must be empowered to make informed choices.

“In complex supply chains, the consumer is the final checkpoint. When consumers become active actors, not passive recipients, they create market pressure for compliance, reduce liability for all actors, and disrupt the normalisation of unsafe or substandard goods,” he stated.

Dr. Kludjeson urged manufacturers, product dealers and regulatory agencies to support the campaign, describing it as a timely and structured intervention aimed at reducing the circulation of counterfeit, substandard and unsafe products in Ghana’s markets.

He noted that fake and unapproved goods not only threaten consumer safety but also undermine legitimate businesses, reduce investor confidence and discourage innovation.

“This is not just a consumer issue. It is an economic and industrial issue. When fake products flood the market, they undermine innovation, discourage investment, and punish the very manufacturers who follow the rules,” he said.

According to Dr. Kludjeson, the campaign deliberately expands the role of consumers by positioning them as the first line of defence against unsafe products.

“Instead of responsibility resting solely with the manufacturer, dealer, seller, or regulator, now the consumer enters as an empowered first line of defence,” he added.

The campaign is being implemented across all 16 regional capitals and 120 district capitals, combining public education with product traceability tools and collaboration with regulatory bodies.

As part of the initiative, CDA CONSULT is encouraging consumers to use the Ghana Standards Authority’s digital conformity platform to verify products and prioritise quality and safety over low prices.

The organisation has been engaged in consumer education on counterfeit products since 2017 through workshops, exhibitions and media engagements. The current phase expands the campaign’s focus to include electrical appliances, electronics, consumables and other fast-moving goods.

CDA CONSULT stressed that addressing the impact of counterfeit and substandard products requires sustained cooperation among government institutions, civil society organisations, the media, trade associations, manufacturers, dealers, law enforcement agencies and consumers.

“Protecting consumers cannot be the burden of state actors alone. There is the need for deeper collaboration between government agencies, civil society organisations, media, trade associations, dealers, manufacturers, law enforcement, and the general public to sustain the gains,” Mr. Ameyibor stated.

The organisation urged consumers to carefully examine products and seek reliable information before purchasing, particularly during periods of increased market activity when fraudulent operators often introduce inferior goods.

CDA CONSULT said its message remains simple: consumer empowerment begins at the point of purchase. By making verification a habit and strengthening collaboration among all stakeholders, Ghana can build a safer and more accountable marketplace that rewards quality and rejects counterfeit products.

The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult provides customised development communication solutions and public education strategies to support institutional transformation and social development initiatives.