BY BONIFACE AKARAH

Consumer rights protection in Nigeria has moved from a largely fragmented and ineffective system to a more structured and enforceable regime, SAM Chukwuka Onyeka (Ph.D), Founder and Lead Director of Transparent Protection Ltd./Gte, has said.

Onyeka made the assertion on Monday while making a keynote presentation titled “Consumer Rights Protection in Nigeria: Myth or Reality?” at an event organised in Lagos by the Institute for Consumer Rights and Product Liability Protection (ICRP) to mark World Consumer Rights Day 2026.

According to the consumer policy expert, Nigeria’s consumer protection ecosystem has evolved significantly in recent years, particularly following the enactment of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, which established the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

“Consumer protection in Nigeria has advanced and become more consolidated, although some challenges still remain that must be addressed for the system to function effectively,” Onyeka said.

He explained that consumer protection historically evolved from basic market regulation in early societies to complex legal frameworks addressing modern challenges such as digital commerce, product liability and data privacy.

“Modern consumer protection law regulates the relationship between the individual consumer and the business supplying goods and services, ensuring fairness, product safety and transparency in the marketplace,” he said.

Dr. Onyeka noted that before 2018, consumer rights protection in Nigeria was largely ineffective due to fragmented legislation and weak enforcement structures.

“Prior to 2018, consumer rights protection in Nigeria was, at best, a myth,” he said, explaining that regulatory responsibility was scattered across several agencies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Consumer Protection Council.

According to him, the absence of a comprehensive legal framework meant that many consumer complaints went unresolved and the rapidly growing digital economy remained largely unregulated.

However, he said the introduction of the FCCPA marked a turning point by creating a unified regulatory structure with stronger enforcement powers.

“The 2018 Act shifted Nigeria from a passive system to a proactive one by establishing the FCCPC and the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal to enforce consumer rights and market fairness,” Onyeka said.

He cited several recent enforcement actions by the FCCPC as evidence of the growing strength of Nigeria’s consumer protection regime.

Among them, he said, was a $220 million fine imposed on Meta Platforms and its subsidiary WhatsApp over alleged consumer data privacy violations.

He also referenced ongoing investigations into digital money lenders accused of breaching consumer privacy rules through abusive loan recovery practices.

The expert further noted that regulators were investigating alleged airline price fixing during the 2025 Christmas travel period when ticket prices reportedly surged sharply.

Despite these advances, Dr. Onyeka said Nigeria still faces several structural challenges in protecting consumers effectively.

These include economic vulnerability among consumers, low awareness of consumer rights, persistent service failures in essential sectors and new risks emerging from digital platforms.

“Legal protections are meaningful only when consumers are aware of their rights and know how to exercise them,” he said.

He added that digital financial services, data privacy concerns and hidden charges on online platforms represent new areas of consumer vulnerability requiring stronger regulatory attention.

To strengthen the system, Onyeka proposed a broad reform agenda that includes deeper integration of consumer protection into national economic policy, stronger inter-agency cooperation and expanded consumer education programmes.

He also called for businesses to embed consumer protection principles into corporate governance and risk management systems rather than treating them merely as customer service obligations.

“Consumer protection must move from reactive complaint handling to preventive governance embedded within corporate decision-making,” he said.

Dr. Onyeka further urged the government to develop a nationwide consumer advisory and support infrastructure to help citizens understand their rights before entering commercial transactions.

He also advocated the use of digital technology to empower consumers through real-time information platforms for lodging complaints and resolving disputes.

Looking ahead, he said Nigeria should also integrate consumer protection standards into its implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to support fair cross-border trade and strengthen market confidence.

“Consumer protection must become a central pillar of national economic development rather than a narrow regulatory activity,” Onyeka said.

He concluded that while Nigeria has made substantial progress, building a mature consumer protection ecosystem will require sustained commitment from government, businesses and civil society.

“Consumer protection in Nigeria reflects both substantial advances and an ongoing process. The progress is real, but the journey toward a fully mature system is still unfolding,” he said.

The event concluded with Dr. Onyeka cutting the ribbon to unveil ICRP’s official logo to cheers from participants.