The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited of breaching consumer protection laws. In a statement released late Thursday, the FCCPC alleged that both companies misled consumers with false trade descriptions, failed to adhere to regulatory compliance, and employed questionable marketing tactics.
The investigation, which began in June 2019, revealed that NBC and Coca-Cola had covertly altered the formulation of their Coke brand from natural sugar to non-nutritive sweeteners without informing consumers. The FCCPC also found that similar changes were made to other products, such as Sprite and Fanta, further violating regulatory standards.
The FCCPC conducted a thorough investigation, obtaining internal documents and production logs to assess the breaches. By December 2020, the commission concluded that both companies had repeatedly violated transparency and disclosure obligations, including misleading claims about product formulations.
Despite attempts by Coca-Cola and NBC to resolve the issues by proposing clearer product descriptions, the FCCPC found that neither company adhered to the agreed-upon remedies. Consequently, the FCCPC issued a final order on July 29, 2024, demanding compliance and corrective actions from both companies.
