Nigeria has some of the strongest consumer protection legislation in West Africa on paper. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 grants Nigerians rights familiar to any EU consumer: the right to accurate product information, the right to a refund for defective goods, the right to redress for misleading advertising. The problem is not the law. The problem is that almost nobody enforces it.
The enforcement gap
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was established to implement the FCCPA. Three years in, its enforcement record remains thin. It has issued warnings and published guidance notes. What it has not done — in any significant number — is prosecute retailers and service providers who systematically breach consumers’ rights.
“When penalties are too low to deter violations, violations will continue. This is not a mystery. It is a policy choice.” — Dr. Remi Adekunle, Consumer Rights Advocacy Network
What needs to change
Reform does not require new legislation. The existing law is adequate. What is required is political will to fund the FCCPC properly, set meaningful enforcement targets, and resist lobbying from the industries it regulates.