The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) has scaled up mobilization for the nationwide rollout of its consumer protection advocacy campaign, “Verify Before You Buy.”
The campaign is designed to shift the market dynamic from passive consumption to active verification, giving consumers the tools to check products before purchase. It is open to partnerships with trade associations, consumer groups and development partners willing to adopt the verification standard.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, CDA Consult Executive Director, speaking during a strategic engagement in Accra with a potential partner, said the advocacy seeks to distribute consumer protection responsibilities among three key actors: consumers, regulators, and law enforcement.
He explained that the campaign targets a problem cutting across markets, shops and online platforms, counterfeit goods, expired products, mislabelled items and outright fraud, which persist because responsibility for verification remains unclear.
He disclosed that, “Verify Before You Buy” redistributes that responsibility across consumers, retailers, regulators and law enforcement, creating a shared standard for safety and authenticity.
The framework is built on four interlocking pillars – education, awareness, action and protection – and positions regulators and law enforcement as the verification backbone and enforcement backstop.
According to Mr. Ameyibor, the goal is to make pre-purchase verification a social norm, while ensuring that violations trigger fast and credible consequences.
It seeks to equip consumers with the knowledge, tools and mandate to verify product integrity before purchase.
This, he said, reduces harm, eliminates dangerous assumptions, and drives higher standards across manufacturers, dealers and retailers.
He expressed concern that many consumers fail to take basic precautions when purchasing goods.
“Don’t use your money to buy a bad product that will end up affecting your health. A simple verification could save your life,” he warned.
Mr. Ameyibor encouraged consumers to verify batch numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates, examine seals and confirm supplier legitimacy before buying.
He reiterated that when you get to the shop or market, do not be in a hurry to pick items and rush to the counter.
Examine the product carefully, check the packaging, instructions, labelling, and medium of communication on the product. Don’t take things for granted before you pay.
He noted that traditional consumer protection systems have relied on post-harm remedies and assumed that manufacturers and sellers would self-police, creating information gaps at the point of sale and delayed enforcement.
He indicated that “Verify Before You Buy” addresses these gaps by making verification a pre-purchase norm, not an after-the-fact legal remedy.
Mr. Ameyibor stressed that the campaign is a holistic consumer empowerment initiative aimed at disarming fraudsters and creating a safer marketplace.
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