CEO Bassie Calls for Fair-Play in The Consumer Market
On February 9th -13th 2026, Lawrence L. Bassie, the CEO of The National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC), participated, in his capacity as a member of the Consultative Competition Committee (CCC) and Sierra Leone’s consumer protection expert, in the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) Technical Review Meeting held in Dakar, Senegal.
The five-day event focused on developing a Regional Regulation on Consumer Protection and an accompanying Procedures Manual to address cross-border consumer protection challenges in West Africa. Key outcomes will include strengthened mechanisms for fair competition, enhanced consumer rights, and implications for faster complaint resolution and enforcement. The meeting underscores the rising momentum for consumer empowerment across the ECOWAS Region, with Sierra Leone positioned as a key contributor to the process.
These efforts address pervasive regional issues such as counterfeit and unsafe goods, misleading advertising, and disputes that transcend national borders, fostering a more equitable marketplace.
Sierra Leone’s input highlighted the need to strengthen fair-play mechanisms across all sectors. The CEO advocated for comprehensive enforcement to ensure market fairness, noting that such measures would boost innovation, consumer confidence and trust, culminating in the overall economic growth in member states.
Sierra Leone’s clear stance on cross-sectoral fair-play mechanisms aligns with regional and national goals of promoting economic development. By adopting these regional frameworks, Sierra Leone aims to enhance market trust, encourage innovation, and contribute to broader West African and African Union prosperity. Mr. Bassie emphasized that consumer awareness is on the increase in Sierra Leone and that the country is proudly advancing alongside its regional partners.
The collaborative environment fostered genuine camaraderie among experts, transforming rigorous work into productive and amicable sessions that will translate to tangible outcomes in the region. ERCA’s hosting was commended for its vision and seamless organization of this important review meeting.