The South-West Zonal Office of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has received more than 23,000 consumer complaints since January 2026, resolving approximately 18,500 of them.
The Zonal Coordinator, Dr Olubunmi Otti, disclosed the figures during an interaction with journalists at the Commission’s office in Ikeja, Lagos.
She attributed the volume of complaints to Lagos State’s position as Nigeria’s commercial centre and identified real estate transactions, online shopping, electricity distribution, digital money lending, aviation services and retail trade among the sectors generating significant consumer dissatisfaction.
Otti expressed concern over complaints involving property transactions, stating that some developers allegedly collected millions of naira from prospective buyers using architectural designs and three-dimensional images that differed significantly from the properties eventually delivered.
She also said some developers failed to complete projects within agreed timelines but later demanded additional payments from buyers, including in circumstances where the delays were attributable to the developers.
According to her, the situation had exposed property buyers to financial losses, with Nigerians living abroad particularly vulnerable where they committed funds without conducting adequate checks on developers and properties.
On online shopping, the zonal coordinator identified complaints involving customers who paid for advertised products but were subsequently blocked by vendors without receiving the goods or recovering their money.
She advised consumers to prioritise payment-on-delivery arrangements when shopping online. Where that option is unavailable, she urged buyers to verify that vendors have identifiable physical addresses before making payments.
Otti also identified complaints against electricity distribution companies, including arbitrary billing, failure to provide prepaid meters, non-compliance with regulatory directives on estimated billing and net metering, and poor service delivery.
The Commission further raised concerns about businesses displaying “No Refund, No Return” notices despite provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.
Otti explained that consumers were entitled to seek redress where products were defective or failed to meet the specifications, quality and purpose represented by sellers.
She said manufacturers, producers, retailers and service providers had obligations under the law and could be required to provide refunds, replacements or compensation, depending on the circumstances.
The zonal coordinator urged businesses to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Act rather than impose conditions intended to deny consumers their statutory rights.
On enforcement, Otti disclosed that the Commission had signed memoranda of understanding with the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
She cited an engagement involving the FCCPC and LASCOPA with supermarket operators following complaints that customers were charged prices different from those displayed on product shelves.
According to her, the Commission reminded operators that where the price displayed on a product differed from the amount demanded at checkout, consumers were entitled to pay the lower displayed price. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria also provided guidance on applicable product-labelling standards during the engagement.
Otti further disclosed that the Commission had expanded its presence through the opening of offices in Ibadan and Plateau State, while efforts were ongoing to establish additional offices, including in Ebonyi and Kaduna states.
On electricity-related complaints, she said the Commission had taken its complaint-resolution activities to communities in Ikorodu and Lagos Island following appeals from residents over persistent power supply challenges.
The engagements brought together electricity distribution companies and relevant regulators to address complaints directly.
The Commission also plans to intensify consumer education through radio and television programmes, consumer clubs in schools, university consumer ambassadors and collaborations with the National Youth Service Corps.
Otti added that educational materials had been developed in three major Nigerian languages and Pidgin English to improve public understanding of consumer rights and responsibilities.
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