Active consumer citizenship in digital marketplace essential – CDA Consult

Francis Ameyibor Executive Director CDA CONSULT ACC

Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) has launched a nationwide consumer protection campaign aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to verify products and sellers before making purchases.

The campaign, dubbed “The Trust Economy: Verify Before You Buy,” seeks to promote a culture of consumer verification and reposition consumer protection as a key driver of economic growth, transparency and accountability.

CDA Consult said the global marketplace had evolved rapidly, with consumers in Ghana and across Africa now able to purchase products from sellers in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, China and the United Kingdom with just a few clicks.

The organisation, however, warned that the increased access to global markets also exposed consumers to counterfeit and substandard products, fraudulent sellers, misleading advertising, fake reviews and cross-border scams.

The Executive Director of CDA Consult, Francis Ameyibor, said traditional purchasing decisions based largely on proximity, brand loyalty and price were no longer sufficient to protect consumers in the increasingly complex marketplace.

He called for a shift from passive consumption to active verification, urging consumers to make checks a routine part of every purchase.

“Let us work together and shift from passive consumption to active verification—Verify Before You Buy—and help build a safer marketplace for everyone; don’t just pay for goods, check and check again before you hand over the cash or press that send button,” he said.

Mr Ameyibor said verification should now be considered a fundamental consumer skill, similar to literacy and financial management.

He urged consumers to authenticate product codes, serial numbers and certifications through official databases, verify seller information and business registration details, and compare independent reviews across multiple platforms before making purchases.

He also encouraged consumers to use traceable payment methods such as escrow services and card payments instead of irreversible transfers, while reporting suspicious listings and fraudulent activities to regulators, online platforms and consumer protection agencies.

According to Mr Ameyibor, the Trust Economy concept goes beyond a moral appeal and represents an economic strategy aimed at strengthening industries, empowering consumers, supporting regulators, improving law enforcement and disrupting fraudulent activities.

He said consumers would benefit from reduced financial losses, protection from health risks associated with counterfeit pharmaceuticals and electronics, and fewer disputes arising from fraudulent transactions.

For legitimate businesses, he noted, a verification-driven marketplace would create competition based on quality, reputation and innovation rather than the ability to produce imitations.

He further said governments and digital platforms could benefit from lower enforcement costs, improved tax compliance and more reliable market data.

Mr Ameyibor called for stronger collaboration among consumers, businesses, regulators, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to make the campaign successful.

He said consumer confidence would become increasingly important as African economies deepen integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area, noting that trusted markets were more likely to attract investment.

“Trust reduces transaction costs, while distrust increases them. Every time a consumer verifies, they are making a deposit into the market’s credibility,” he said.

CDA Consult maintained that verification could not be achieved by consumers alone and required coordinated action involving regulators, technology providers and law enforcement agencies.

“Regulation sets the floor, technology provides the tools, and people provide the judgment. When judgment becomes culture, markets become resilient,” Mr Ameyibor said.

He described “Verify Before You Buy” as more than a campaign slogan, saying it was an invitation to build a modern marketplace where consumers are protected, legitimate businesses thrive and counterfeiters face greater difficulty.

“Choose verification, choose safety, choose trust. The future of commerce is not just about what we buy; it is about how we buy,” he added.

Nationwide campaign

The Trust Economy campaign is designed as a nationwide consumer empowerment and protection initiative aimed at tackling counterfeit goods, expired products, mislabelled items and fraudulent transactions across physical and online marketplaces.

CDA Consult said the campaign would promote shared responsibility among three key actors—consumers, regulators and law enforcement agencies.

Its framework is built around four pillars: education, awareness, action and protection, with regulators and law enforcement serving as the backbone for verification and enforcement.

The campaign is being rolled out across all 16 regional capitals and 60 district capitals, combining public education with product traceability tools and increased collaboration with regulatory institutions.

CDA Consult said it had been educating the public on counterfeit products since 2017 through workshops, exhibitions and media engagements and would continue expanding its consumer protection efforts.