Customer Protection involves the practices directed at safeguarding consumers of goods and services from unjust practices of sellers, service providers, and manufacturers. So, Consumer Protection Agencies prevent businesses from engaging in unfair practices aimed at gaining a benefit over competition or cheating customers, by employing measures consumer protection measures backed by law.
This is a list of consumer protection agencies in Nigeria and their functions:
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Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)
Mandated by Federal authority to ensure consumer protection across Nigeria by application of strategies which include, complaint resolution through direct engagement, investigations, mediations, and official hearings when a compelling infraction is committed. The agency is also involved in random and targeted surveillance and enforcement of actions. Furthermore, the agency is tasked with nationwide quality assessment of goods and processes to ensure that integrity is upheld by manufacturers and service providers. Routine consumer education and research aimed at the development of intervention techniques and improvement of existing instruments are part of the responsibilities of the agency in protecting consumers.
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Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)
This agency is responsible for such measures that are directed towards products, services, related processes, and production materials, attain an optimum degree of compliance to standards to ensure that these products, services, and production processes are reasonable for their purpose, as well as comparable and compatible. This is achieved by; testing which includes chemical laboratory testing, inorganic testing, textile testing, amongst others to ensure guideline adherence. The agency is also charged with product certification to promote the production of quality products and healthy competition aimed at delivering consumers’ confidence in these products and services.
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Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
The Department of Consumer Protection under the Directorate of Air Transport of the NCAA is authorized to ensure the best service delivery to consumers of air transport in Nigeria. This is through measures that encompass, the production of worthwhile machinery directed at the promotion of quality in service in the aviation industry in Nigeria. The agency also enforces fitting and appropriate regulations to airlines and other service providers. Publication and circulation of enlightenment information materials to consumers and service providers on rights, and seeing to the satisfactory conclusion of consumers’ complaints, are amongst the functions of the agency.
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Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)
The commission is charged with the oversight of the electricity industry. It has the mandate to grant operator’s license to individuals and organizations intending to join the business of electricity generation, transmission, distribution, or trading. The commission is further charged with the monitoring and enforcement of directives to persons deemed as fit in the electricity market to guard against unfair business practices. Tariff pricing stipulation, dispute resolution through arbitration and alternative dispute resolution techniques between market participants, and issuance of a license for the generation and distribution of electricity for sale, forms part of the commission’s job responsibilities.
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National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
Operating under the supervisory oversight of the Federal Ministry of Environment, this NESREA is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the assessment of the environmental consequences of plans or projects before the commencement of proposed action. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is aimed at protecting the environment from projects or plans that may have negative impacts on the environment. NESREA is also charged with enforcement of confiscation and prosecution of unlawful wildlife trade crimes in Nigeria, and engaging in measures to prevent dumping of electronic wastes into the country from overseas.
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National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)
The Ministry of Information supervises NBC and mandates the agency with the charge to control and regulate the broadcasting industry in Nigeria, ranging from radio, television, cable television service, direct satellite broadcast, and other media of broadcast. The commission is responsible for the receipt, consideration, and processing of applications of intending businesses in the broadcasting industry. The commission also engages in the data collection, analysis of trend behaviors, and the application of specific methods in the broadcasting industry to offer advice to the Federal Government.
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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
The Central Bank of Nigeria is the apex banking institution in the country. It regulates all other banking institutions and financial institutions in the country. The Central Bank sets requirements for the banking industry such as the stipulation of cash reserves
a bank must sustain vis-a-vis their deposits, capital requirement, and deposit guarantees to mitigate against failure that may adversely affect the consumers of banking services. So, in the event of the failure of any of these banks, the financial resources of the customers are not affected as the CBN directs the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), to effect control. The Central Bank employs several strategies to ensure that banking institutions do not employ fraudulent practices on their customers by application of stringent monitoring and enforcement of regulations In accordance with the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, directed towards the promotion of a sound financial system in the country.
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National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC)
NAFDAC is responsible for the employment of such measures directed at the elimination of fake pharmaceutical products, foods and beverage products, and related products. Inspired by the 1988 World Health Assembly determination in combating threats posed by fake drugs, the NAFDAC performs the following functions, in accordance with the legislative decree No. 15 of 1993; regulation and control of the importation, exportation, distribution, sale, and use of drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, and chemicals; compilation of standard guidelines and specifications for the production, exportation, sale, and distribution of these drugs and associated products. The commission also oversees the registration of food, drugs, medical devices, amongst other related products, and establishes avenues for optimum performance of its objectives.
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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
This agency is responsible for the control and regulation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) practices in Nigeria through strategies such as planning, research development, standardization application, coordination, and evaluation. NITDA enables consumer protection in the ICT sector by ensuring IT providers comply with set guidelines in accordance with the NITDA Act of 2007. Responsible for the invention of policies and proposal of legislation for the development and regulation of the ICT sector to ensure a smooth sail to Information Technology practices in Nigeria.