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THE Consumer Protection Council, CPC, is to intensify its fight against the violation of the rights of consumer in order to ensure that Nigerians get value for the money spent on products and services. Dupe Atoki, director-general, CPC, said while the agency had taken steps to protect the level of consumer rights in Nigeria, the level of ignorance among many of the consumers needed to be addressed through enlightenment campaigns.

Atoki stated this in Abuja, on Wednesday, March 15, at an event to mark the 2017 World Consumer Day. The event, with the theme, ‘Building a digital world consumers can trust,’ also saw the investiture of Aisha Buhari, wife of the President, as the Nigerian Consumer Ambassador.

She said, “The challenge being faced by Nigerian consumers is nothing near the plight of our dear fellow citizens in the North-East geo-political zone. However, ignorance, which is one of the biggest banes of the Nigerian consumer, deserves the concerted efforts of all well-meaning Nigerians to overturn.

“As part of the CPC’s drive to drastically improve the level of consumer awareness in the country, the council has drawn up programmes to undertake widespread grass roots sensitisation campaign across the country.”

Atoki expressed optimism that as a consumer ambassador, the wife of the President would be able to educate more Nigerians on their rights as consumers.

Michel Arrion, European Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the EU would assist the CPC to protect the rights of Nigerian consumers.

The support, he said, was necessitated by the dynamics of global competitiveness, which had made most transactions to be effected digitally, adding that Nigerian consumers must be protected given the rising challenges of the digital economy.

In Europe, 10 per cent of transaction services are online, and within the next five years, it is estimated that 40 per cent of the services and transactions will be done online.

—  Mar 27, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

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