Unilever, Customs partner to tackle counterfeiting, illicit trade

Unilever Nigeria Plc and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have agreed to strengthen their collaboration against counterfeit products and illicit trade in a move aimed at protecting consumers and supporting legitimate businesses.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both organisations, establishing a framework for intelligence sharing, product authentication, inspections, capacity development and other enforcement measures.

The companies said the agreement would improve visibility across supply chains and help ensure that consumers have access to genuine and properly verified products.

They noted that counterfeit goods posed serious challenges to public health, consumer confidence, fair competition and government revenue.

The threat is considered particularly significant in the beauty and personal care market, where fake products may contain harmful substances capable of putting consumers’ health at risk.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Unilever Nigeria’s Managing Director, Tobi Adeniyi, said the agreement marked an important development in efforts to tackle the counterfeit trade.

Adeniyi said counterfeiting harmed consumers, businesses and the wider economy by eroding trust and giving illicit operators an unfair advantage over legitimate businesses.

He said combining Unilever’s expertise in identifying genuine products with the enforcement capacity of Customs would strengthen efforts to keep counterfeit goods away from the Nigerian market.

The Unilever chief also described the agreement as evidence of the value of collaboration between government and the private sector in addressing challenges that affect both businesses and consumers.

The Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, pledged that the agency would implement the agreement professionally and transparently in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.

He stressed that tackling counterfeiting and other forms of illicit trade required coordinated action involving government institutions and businesses.

According to him, the partnership would contribute to protecting consumers, improving confidence in products and promoting legitimate trade.

The Customs boss said the agency was committed to turning the agreement into practical measures that would contribute to economic growth and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s marketplace.

The MoU is expected to strengthen cooperation between Unilever and the NCS through enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing, continuous capacity building, product verification and greater protection of intellectual property rights.