Consumer Protection Agencies In Nigeria | Their Functions

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Hi, welcome to this hall on the Agencies responsible for consumer protection agencies in Nigeria.

Table Of Contents

  1. Consumer association
  2. Objectives of consumer protection agencies
  3. Functions of consumer protection agencies in Nigeria.
  4. Revision Questions

In Nigeria most especially we have various agencies responsible for consumers protection.

Here are the agencies responsible for consumers protection in Nigeria:

  1. Consumers association
  2. manufacturers association
  3. Rent tribunals
  4. Price control board
  5. Food and drug department of ministry of health
  6. Standard organization of Nigeria (SON)
  7. Environmental protection Agency
  8. Public health department/unit
  9. Professional bodies
  10. Ministry of trade and Industry

Consumer Association: Consumer Associations is one of the Consumer Protection Agencies in Nigeria. They are formed by consumers to protect their rights and interest. They study the prices and the quality of goods sold in their locality and makes recommendation to their members. Examples of consumer associations include tenant Association, consumer co-operative association and Association of electricity consumers.

Objectives of Forming Consumer Association

  1. To act as a check against exploitation of consumers by the manufacturers.
  2. To check arbitrary increases in prices of goods.
  3. To act as a guide against deceptive and misleading advertisement.
  4. To protect their members against consumption of harmful or dangerous goods.
  5. To educate the consumers about their rights.
  6. To ensure the correct usage of weight and measures.
  7. To promote and protect the interest of consumers
  8. To pressurise the producers to produce high quality goods

Manufacturers Association: Manufacturers Association is an Association of producers who come together to ensure that the quality of goods produce is high and that the members comply with their professional ethics, e.g, manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

Functions of Manufacturers Association

  1. The manufacturers Association sponsor some of their members on trade mission to foreign countries
  2. They also protect the interest of their members.
  3. They ensure uniformity in prices of goods
  4. They ensure high quality goods and services
  5. They ensure that members abide with their professional ethics.
  6. Manufacturers Association serve to inform their members about the latest development in Commercial field.
  7. They serve as links between their members and government.

RENT TRIBUNALS: This is another Consumer Protection agencies in Nigeria. The rent tribunals are set up by the government to regulate any matter relating to rentage of houses, shops, etc. Their establishment is aimed at curbing the excesses of landlords and agents by controlling the rent charged.

Functions of Rent Tribunals

  1. To control rent charged by landlords
  2. To ensure compliance with the edict by prosecuting offenders
  3. To curtail the excesses of the agents and landlords
  4. To fix rent for certain categories of houses, depending on the location

PRICE CONTROL BOARD: The price control board was established for the federation to control inflation by fixing the retail prices of certain essential commodities. The board also ensure that the provisions of the price control decree are enforced.

Functions of the Price control board

  1. To protect low income groups
  2. To protect the customers from paying exorbitant prices.
  3. To stabilise general price levels and contain inflationary pressure in the economy.
  4. To prevent hoarding by sellers who refused to sell at control price.
  5. To fix prices for some essential commodities

FOOD AND DRUG DEPARTMENT OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH: This also is one of the consumer protection agencies in Nigeria whose duty is now handled by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control (NAFDAC) is charged with administrating the provision of the food and drug decree. The department has field offices where consumers can report cases of contaminated or adulterated food and drugs.

Functions of Food and Drug Department

  1. The department ensures that the provision of the food and drug act are implemented.
  2. It ensures the cleanliness of abattoirs and healthiness of animals
  3. The department ensures that drugs to be sold are tested for safety purposes
  4. It regulates and monitors advertisement in the media.
  5. The department educate the people about the danger of some goods and drugs.
  6. It also monitors the sale of canned food

STANDARD ORGANIZATION OF NIGERIA (SON): The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1971. The Functions of the organizations are:

  1. To standardise methods and products in companies
  2. To ensure compliance with government policy of standardisation
  3. To provide measures for quality control of products
  4. To advise the Federal Government on National policy on standards and quality control.
  5. To test products to ensure that minimum specification are met.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The environmental protection Agency is a parastatal of the Federal Government. It’s main objectives are:

  1. To ensure that regulations and rules concerning environmental sanitation and hygiene are strictly adhere to (this also extend to goods sold within the country).
  2. To ensure the treatment of polluted water and payment of compensation to inhabitants by the company that cause such pollution.
  3. To ensure disposal of refuse.
  4. To maintain clean sewage system.

PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT (SANITARY INSPECTORS): Public health unit or department is the government organ that deal with complaints on dirty environment, shops, restaurants and food items that are not fit for consumption. They enforce the rules on sanitation of consumable goods and healthy environments.

PROFESSIONAL BODIES: Some professional bodies like the institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) etc. Lay down rules and regulations about their profession. They ensure that members abide by the ethics of the profession by regulating their activities so as to protect the consuming public.

Functions of the Professional Bodies

The Functions of professional bodies are:

  1. To ensure that members operate according to their professional ethics.
  2. To ensure compliance with laid down rules and regulations.
  3. To discipline erring members.
  4. To register members as professionals.

MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY: The ministry of trade and Industry in collaboration with other organs administer government laws and regulations relating to trade and Industry in a country.

Functions of the Ministry of Trade and Industry

  1. The ministry ensures that most goods imported or exported are regulated.
  2. It monitors the setting up of business.
  3. It enforces law on trade and Industry
  4. The ministry ensures compliance with various acts, e.g. Trade description Act.

Revision Questions

  1. Mention ten consumer protection Agencies listed above.
  2. State four objectives of each agencies
  3. Outline four functions of consumer protection agencies in Nigeria.
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