FCCPC Signs MOU With LASCOPA On Consumer Protection

To further protect consumers in the country, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC wants State Governments should strengthen their consumers legal law.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello who made the call in Abuja during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding, MOU with the Lagos State Consumer Agency, LASCOPA reflects a shared commitment to improve the daily experience of consumers and strengthen the fair business conduct through practical institutional cooperation.

Mr Tunji Bello therefore stressed the need for consumers to always have value for their money and be protected against any market abuse and exploitation.

While expressing FCCPC readiness to collaborate with State Governments on consumer protection, Mr Tunji Bello expressed the hope that the MOU would address basic consumer issues in Lagos State.

“It now touches nearly every aspect of modern life. It concerns transportation, food, housing, healthcare, digital services, financial transactions, e-commerce, food safety, pricing, transparency, advertising practices, and the quality of essential services. In each of these areas, citizens expect fairness, accountability, and accessibility, accessible redress where things go wrong” He said

According to him, as markets become more sophisticated, complaints also become more complex as consumers now face issues that cut across jurisdiction and acceptance and this reality requires regulators to be coordinated, responsive, and forward-looking.

“That is why this partnership matters. FCCPC was established under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 to promote competition, protect consumers, and ensure fair market practices across Nigeria. Since then, the Commission has pursued the two enforcement actions, market surveillance, consumer complaints, resolution, advocacy, and sustained public education”.

In his words “We have continued to engage businesses on compliance obligations, investigate harmful market practices, encourage voluntary collective action where appropriate, and provide consumers with channels through which they can seek redress. At the same time, we recognize the effective consumer protection cannot be delivered from Abuja alone. Many consumer issues arise within states and communities”.

“It is important to note that Lagos owns the Commission’s Southwest Zonal Office and this provides a strong external foundation for practical day-to-day collaboration between the FCCPC and LASCOPA. Don’t forget that Lagos is also the industrial and commercial capital of Nigeria”.

“I therefore encourage close operational cooperation at that level, particularly in the areas of complaints handling, intelligence sharing, consumer education, and coordinated interventions where necessary. The work of LASCOPA is therefore important, timely, and worthy of commendation.

“The MOU provides a framework for information sharing, complaint reference, joint consumer education initiatives, capacity development, market intelligence exchange, and coordinated action where legally appropriate. It is not merely a preliminary document, it is an operational instrument designed to improve outcomes for citizens”

” Through this collaboration, consumers should be able to offer quicker responses, clearer pathways for complaints, stronger awareness of their rights, and better coordination between federal and state authorities”.

“Businesses should benefit from more consistent engagement, clearer expectations, and a stronger culture of fair dealing. And this is very important. Let me also state that the FCCPC is committed to encouraging other states across the federation to enact and strengthen or renew their consumer protection legal frameworks in ways that reflect local realities and peculiar market conditions”

Mr Tunji Bello called on other states of the federation to join and strengthen their own laws, particular consumer laws, so that we can partner and work together to be more effective. While national standards are important, each state also faces distinct challenges, requiring tailored responses, strong state-level consumer protection institutions, working in harmony with federal regulators, and this will significantly improve confidence in the Nigerian marketplace.

On his part, the General Manager of Lagos State Consumer Agency, Mr Afolabi Solebo who commended the leadership qualities of Mr Tunji Bello as the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC expressed the hope that the MOU would address cases of market issues and consumers abuse in Lagos State.

Mr Solebo promised that Lagos State Consumer Agency would continue to collaborate with necessary stakeholders towards safeguarding the rights of consumers in the State.