Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja
Director General, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, has reiterated the importance of consumer protection and education in the country.
Irukera said this at a Stakeholders’ Forum organised by FCCPC to commemorate the “World Consumer Rights Day 2019,’ with the theme: Trusted Smart Products, which held at Banex Plaza, in Abuja, recently.
Irukera said most constitutions across the world do not capture consumerism as a fundamental human right and the nature of business practiced is mainly centred at making profit and that it is important to recognise what consumer rights are, respect those rights, ensure enforcement and consumer satisfaction.
“The biggest problem in the world, today, is whether consumers truly recognise their rights and whether companies do enough to respect their obligation to regard those rights.
“And so, to dedicate a specific day to the rights of consumers, I think it is appropriate. With the number of years this has happened, I think consumers are more aware of their rights.
“Although in spite of this, there is still a long way to travel for consumers to truly understand their rights and for them to have the motivation and understand the enforcement mechanism that is available.
“This is also an opportunity for governments to reinforce and deepen the regulatory framework and the enforcement mechanism to ensure consumer rights are respected because it is the hub for exchange and sale for smart products whether telephone devices, televisions, computers and the like,” Irukera said.