Unilever, Nigeria Customs Partner to Combat Counterfeiting, Strengthen Legitimate Trade
Eromosele Abiodun
In a significant step towards protecting consumers, strengthening legitimate trade, and safeguarding Nigeria’s economy, Unilever Nigeria Plc recently entered into a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The partnership establishes a structured framework for collaboration aimed at tackling counterfeit and illicit trade, improving supply chain visibility, and ensuring that only authentic and verified products reach consumers across Nigeria. Counterfeit products continue to pose serious risks to public health, undermine consumer confidence, distort competition, and erode government revenue. Every Nigerian consumer deserves to know that the products they buy are safe, genuine and of the quality they expect.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Tobi Adeniyi, described the partnership as a critical milestone in the fight against counterfeits.
He said, “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. This partnership reflects our commitment to protecting consumers and preserving the integrity of the marketplace.”
Speaking, the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said“We are committed to implementing the agreement transparently and professionally in line with our mandate. The fight against counterfeiting and other forms of illicit trade cannot be won by one organisation acting alone. Partnerships like this are important because they bring together the strengths of both the public and private sectors in pursuit of a common goal. Beyond protecting businesses, this is about protecting Nigerian consumers and giving them greater confidence in the products they buy every day. We are pleased to partner with Unilever Nigeria and look forward to translating this commitment into tangible results that strengthen legitimate trade, support economic growth, and uphold the integrity of our markets.”