Ayodeji Ake
The Lagos Zonal Office of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has resolved more than 15,000 consumer complaints received through its online and physical channels in the Lagos Zone.
The Zonal Coordinator of the FCCPC Lagos Office, Dr. Olubunmi Otti, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists at the Commission’s office in Ikeja recently.
Otti said the complaints were submitted either through the Commission’s online platform or directly at its Lagos Corporate Office by consumers seeking redress over products and services that failed to meet their expectations.
She stressed that consumers who pay for goods and services have a legitimate expectation of receiving value for their money and should not hesitate to seek assistance when that expectation is not met.
“Any consumer that purchases products expects to get value from them, and when these expectations are not met, consumers have a right to complain to the FCCPC,” she said.
According to her, consumers are, however, expected to first engage the service provider or seller in an attempt to resolve the dispute before approaching the Commission.
She explained that where the consumer is dissatisfied with the response or outcome, a formal complaint can then be lodged with the FCCPC through its complaints’ portal or physically at its Lagos office.
Otti urged consumers to provide sufficient information when filing complaints, noting that this would make it easier for the Commission to investigate and resolve their cases.
She said complaints should contain the address and location of the service provider, evidence of purchase such as receipts, the amount of money involved and the specific redress being sought by the complainant.
The Zonal Coordinator said the Lagos office had handled about 17,000 complaints received through its various channels, with more than 15,000 successfully resolved.
She said the primary objective of the Commission was to protect the interests and welfare of consumers while promoting fairness in the marketplace.
The FCCPC is empowered by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 to promote fair business practices and safeguard consumers against exploitative and anti-competitive practices.
The Commission is also responsible for preventing practices capable of leading to the abuse of market dominance or monopolies and investigating anti-competitive conduct, including price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation and abuse of dominant market positions.
Otti encouraged consumers to take advantage of the Commission’s complaints channels to report issues ranging from refusal to return or refund payments, improper product labelling and pricing violations to hidden charges, sale of substandard products and other unfair business practices.
She also stressed the importance of proper product labelling, noting that products sold in Nigeria are expected to carry information in English.
According to her, the Commission employs several mechanisms to resolve consumer disputes, including direct engagement with businesses, negotiations, mediation, conciliation and administrative hearings.
She urged consumers who are dissatisfied with goods or services to approach the FCCPC rather than remain silent about their experiences.
“Whenever consumers are not satisfied with the services rendered or provided, they are encouraged to come to FCCPC,” she said.
Otti reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting consumers, stressing that their satisfaction and safety remained central to its mandate.