FCCPC Organizes Training For Judges To Strengthen Judicial Responsibilities On Consumer Protection

To strengthen the discharge of judicial responsibilities in competition and consumer protection matters, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has organised a three days training for Judges in line with the FCCPC Act.

Declaring the training open in Abuja, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere – Ekun commended the FCCPC for the training describing it as a good step in the right direction towards protecting Nigerian consumers and ensure sanity in the market places.

Justice Kekere – Ekun said the training would further enable Judges to effectively adjudicate disputes arising from digital markets, data exploration and Fintech as well as comparative perspectives on competition adjudication

“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission occupies
a pivotal position within Nigeria’s regulatory architecture. As the statutory
authority responsible for enforcing competition and consumer protection
laws, the Commission plays a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of the
marketplace. Through its mandate, the FCCPC serves as a bulwark against
anti-competitive practices, market distortions, and unfair business
conduct that undermine consumer confidence and economic stability” She said

” Continuous dialogue
and knowledge exchange between regulators and the judiciary are
therefore indispensable. It is in this light that the present training,
convened under the theme “Addressing Legal and Adjudicatory Issues in
Competition and Consumer Protection under the Federal Competition and
Consumer Protection Act, 2018,” assumes particular significance”.

According to her, across jurisdictions, competition and consumer protection law has rapidly
evolved into one of the most dynamic and litigated fields of legal practice.
Contemporary developments illustrate the growing complexity of the field.

Justice Kekere – Ekun therefore advised all participants, particularly our esteemed Judicial officers, to
engage actively in the deliberations, contribute meaningfully to
discussions, and take full advantage of the expertise of the distinguished
facilitators and discussants assembled for the programme.

Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman, Federal Competition and Conmer Protection Commission, FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello who said the training was in collaboration with the National Judicial Council, NJI, stressed the need for law officers to be well equipped towards approaching competition and consumer issues with clarity and confidence in achieving desired results in line with the law.

Mr Tunji Bello stated that the inclusion of international perspectives in the training was to provide valuable insights for strengthening domestic jurisprudence and regulatory practice in Nigeria.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC added that as Nigeria’s market continue to evolve, there is the need for interaction between economic regulation and judicial oversight towards shaping market behaviours, encourage investors and protect the welfare of Nigerian consumers.

“Competition and consumer protection law often finds its most practical expression in the courtroom. It is there that the legal principles governing markets are tested, clarified and given authoritative interpretation and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is particularly grateful to the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for its partnership in convening this programme. The Institute, under the leadership of the Chairman of the Council, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, has long served as Nigeria’s central platform for continuing judicial education and has played an important role in strengthening judicial capacity across evolving areas of law” He stated

According to him, the collaboration reflects the growing importance of competition and consumer protection law within Nigeria’s legal and economic landscape and the legal foundation for this is provided by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which establishes the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as Nigeria’s primary authority for promoting fair competition and protecting consumer welfare.

“The Act introduced a comprehensive national regime governing anticompetitive conduct, consumer protection, mergers and acquisitions review, and market surveillance. As the implementation of this framework continues to evolve, the role of the courts in interpreting its provisions remains central to the development of coherent and predictable competition jurisprudence in Nigeria”.

“Modern markets operate in a rapidly changing environment. Technological innovation, digital commerce, cross-border transactions and increasingly complex corporate structures continue to reshape how markets function. These developments raise new legal and economic questions relating to market dominance, restrictive agreements, price fixing, unfair trade practices and the protection of consumer rights and in recent years, regulators and courts in Nigeria have encountered a growing number of disputes arising from evolving market practices across several sectors of the economy. Many of these matters involve complex factual records, economic evidence and questions concerning the interaction between general competition law and sector-specific regulatory frameworks”.

“Your Lordships, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, competition law frequently requires courts to consider detailed economic evidence, market structures and evolving business practices. Courts are often required to assess expert testimony, economic analysis and market data in determining whether particular conduct restricts competition or harms consumer welfare”.

In his words” It is therefore important that judicial officers remain well equipped to approach these issues with clarity and confidence. Programmes such as this provide an opportunity to strengthen institutional understanding of the legal and economic principles that underpin competition and consumer protection law”.

“An important dimension of this programme is the interaction between the judiciary and regulatory authorities. Regulatory institutions operate at the frontline of market monitoring, investigation and administrative enforcement, while the judiciary provides authoritative interpretation of statutory provisions and resolves disputes arising from regulatory actions. Constructive engagement between these institutions helps ensure that regulatory enforcement and judicial interpretation evolve in a manner that is both legally sound and responsive to the realities of modern markets”.

“Before I end, Your Lordships, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it bears restating that as Nigeria’s markets continue to evolve, the interaction between economic regulation and judicial oversight will become increasingly significant and the development of clear and principled jurisprudence in competition and consumer protection law will help shape market behaviour, strengthen investor confidence and protect the welfare of Nigerian consumers” He stated

Mr Tunji Bello expressed the hope that the deliberations over the coming days will deepen participants collective understanding of these issues and further strengthen the constructive partnership between the judiciary and regulatory institutions in advancing fair, efficient and transparent markets in Nigeria.