A Ghanaian consumer advocacy group launched a nationwide campaign on Monday urging shoppers to verify products before buying, as counterfeit goods and AI-generated scams spread across physical and online markets.
The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult, known as CDA Consult, unveiled the initiative under the slogan “The Trust Economy: Verify Before You Buy.” Executive Director Francis Ameyibor said the model that once guided Ghanaian purchases, built on proximity, brand loyalty and price, no longer holds against counterfeit and substandard products, fake reviews and cross-border fraud.
The push lands weeks after Ghanaian regulators recorded a run of enforcement actions that illustrate the scale of the problem. The Food and Drugs Authority seized more than 4,500 unregistered and potentially hazardous cosmetic products in a week-long sweep across 15 regions in June. The Consumer Protection Agency separately flagged over 133 unregistered products still circulating on the Ghanaian market, warning that many enter through smuggling routes that dodge taxes and import duties. In May, the Ghana Standards Authority shut down four mattress factories near Tema after lab tests found manufacturers substituting approved foam with hazardous industrial polystyrene.
Ameyibor described verification as a basic consumer skill on par with financial literacy, telling shoppers to check product codes and certifications against official databases, cross-reference seller registration and reviews, and use traceable payment methods rather than irreversible transfers. He urged buyers to report suspicious listings to regulators and platforms.
He framed the campaign as an economic argument rather than a moral one. Counterfeit trade drains household income, exposes buyers to fake pharmaceuticals and electronics, and forces legitimate businesses to compete against imitation rather than quality, he said. For government and platforms, he argued, verification lowers enforcement costs and strengthens tax compliance.
Ameyibor tied the timing to Ghana’s deepening integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area, arguing that consumer confidence will shape which markets draw investment as cross-border trade expands. “Regulation sets the floor, technology provides the tools, and people provide the judgment,” he said.
CDA Consult built the campaign around four pillars: education, awareness, action and protection, with regulators and law enforcement serving as the enforcement backbone. The rollout covers all 16 regional capitals and 60 district capitals, combining public workshops with product-traceability tools and closer coordination with regulatory bodies. The group has run counterfeit-awareness programs since 2017 through workshops, exhibitions and media outreach.
CDA Consult is calling on regulators, platforms and law enforcement agencies to back the campaign, positioning coordinated verification as the main defense against a fraud problem that recent seizures suggest is still widespread.
