"Trust is the currency of the modern economy. When a young person buys a phone online, when a mother buys medicine at the pharmacy, or when a trader imports goods for resale, they are making a decision based on trust. Our job is to give them the tools to verify that trust before money changes hands," Mr. Francis Ameyibor, CDA Consult Executive Director, stated.

In a statement issued after engagement with stakeholders in Koforidua, Mr. Ameyibor explained that based on the negative impact of substandard and counterfeit products on people, CDA Consult, in collaboration with strategic state and non-state actors, is working passionately to drive the nationwide consumer empowerment and protection education advocacy under the banner "The Trust Economy: Verify Before You Buy."

Mr. Ameyibor explained that the initiative is not just about warning buyers. It is about rebuilding the relationship between businesses, regulators, and consumers in Ghana's fast-growing digital marketplace.

He noted that the campaign will highlight three pressure points through 16 regional capital and 60 district capital engagements in the first phase, which covers two years.

“We have identified counterfeit goods from electronics to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; fake products continue to circulate with professional-looking packaging to deceive the consumer, but with the collaboration of regulators, we will expose the consumer to a basic checklist," he stated.

Another red flag is the digital world; continuously, some fraudulent actors have entered the digital market space, offered attractive packages, and managed to lure consumers to patronize the services. They then take payment and disappear or deliver goods that do not match the advert.

Many consumers do not know where to check product registration numbers, business licenses, or price benchmarks before paying. "We are redirecting consumers to be inquisitive when they want to purchase a product, ask the vendor all the nagging questions, examine the products carefully, and, in doubt, use your mobile phone to check,” he said.

"Don't be negligent" is a deliberate call to action. Negligence here means buying on impulse, believing every advert, and skipping basic checks because it looks legit," Mr. Ameyibor stressed.

CDA CONSULT will also partner with trade associations, industry players, manufacturers, importers and exporters associations, corporate entities, procurement officials, and the larger community as well as influencers to turn verification into a social norm, not an afterthought.

"We want 'Have you verified it?' to become as common as 'How much is it?'. That one question can break the chain of fraud," Mr. Ameyibor noted.

CDA CONSULT frames the campaign within its broader Communication for Development mandate. The idea is that informed consumer behavior drives better business practices, which in turn attracts investment and protects public health.

CDA Consult's approach, titled “The Trust Economy—Verified Before You Buy," emphasizes the importance of transparency in business practices. CDA Consult also calls on businesses to be transparent.

“Regulators are being engaged to simplify how citizens can check product and business authenticity via USSD and WhatsApp.

"Development is not just roads and hospitals. It is also the confidence a person has when they spend their hard-earned money. That confidence must be earned, and it must be verifiable," Mr. Ameyibor indicated.

Mr. Ameyibor noted that “The Trust Economy – Verified Before You Buy,” a CDA Consult campaign, is to complement the efforts of regulators and law enforcement bodies and also empower the consumer to be the first line of verification.

He said, "Without the consumers' alertness, the efforts of regulators, law enforcement bodies, and genuine manufacturers would be unproductive; we all need to wake up and be alert when we enter the shops, markets, or online marketplaces. Whatever you want to pay for, take one step backward and verify before you move forward to pay.”   

Mr. Ameyibor emphasizes that in a global economy where a single click can move billions of funds across countries and through multiple bank accounts, the cost of negligence is high. "The CDA Consult Trust Economy: Verify Before You Buy argues that verification is not about suspicion. It is about respect for your money, your health, and your community.

“Don't be negligent. Verify before you buy. Because in a trust economy, the smartest buyer is the informed buyer,” Mr. Ameyibor stated.

The “Verify Before You Buy” campaign is described as a nationwide progressive consumer empowerment and protection advocacy initiative designed to shift the market dynamic from passive consumption to active verification.

It targets a problem that cuts across physical markets, shops, and online platforms: counterfeit goods, expired products, mislabeled items, and outright fraud that persist because responsibility for verification is unclear.

To address this, CDA CONSULT is redistributing consumer protection responsibilities across three key actors: consumers, regulators, and law enforcement. The framework rests on four interlocking pillars: education, awareness, action, and protection, with regulators and law enforcement positioned as the verification backbone and enforcement backstop.

Mr. Ameyibor called on stakeholders, regulators, dealers, manufacturers, law enforcement agencies, and the general public to actively support the advocacy.

For CDA CONSULT, the message is clear: empowerment starts at the shelf. By making verification a habit, and with the backing of regulators, dealers, manufacturers, law enforcement, and citizens, Ghana can build a safer, more accountable marketplace that rewards quality and punishes fakes.