The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has advised parents and guardians that they should not be compelled by schools to purchase approved textbooks, uniforms and stationery exclusively from the schools or designated suppliers.
The agency issued the advisory as schools prepare to reopen, urging parents to be aware of their consumer rights and report practices that unnecessarily restrict their choices.
LASCOPA said where equivalent and approved items are available from other suppliers, parents should generally be free to purchase them from their preferred vendors.
The agency was responding to situations where schools provide parents with lists of required books, stationery and uniforms but reject items purchased from other sellers, even when the products meet the required specifications.
LASCOPA maintained that schools should not unnecessarily prevent parents from sourcing equivalent approved materials elsewhere.
Parents and guardians who encounter such practices or other consumer protection concerns were encouraged to report them to the agency.
Complaints can be submitted via lasgcopa@gmail.com or through the agency’s toll-free line, 080 0005 2726, available on weekdays. Other contact numbers are 081 2499 3895 and 091 5389 4878.
The agency urged parents to remain informed and assert their consumer rights as the new academic session approaches.
