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CPC seeks EU’s support on consumer protection

By BusinessNews Staff on March 13, 2015

The Director-General, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, has expressed optimism that the European Union will support the agency’s efforts in the development of globally acceptable standard guidelines for businesses in Nigeria.

Atoki stated this on Wednesday while receiving the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Michel Arrion, in her office in Abuja.

She commended Arrion for regarding the role of CPC as critical in the development of the Nigerian economy, stressing that the nation’s partnership with the EU had been evolving since 1976 and was formalised in 2009 in the form of the Nigeria-EU Joint Way Forward, with a commitment to work together along the same policies.

Atoki said, “I am aware that the Nigerian-EU partnership is committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts in promoting trade, competition and consumer protection. The National Quality Infrastructure Project for Nigeria, which is entirely funded by the EU, attests to this commitment.

“While the EU promotes trade and competition as one of the most effective ways to boost development, the CPC is equally focused on protecting the demand side of trade (consumers), without which there will be a serious trade imbalance.”

The DG observed that Nigerian consumers had over the years have no significant protection from the overwhelming abuses and exploitation by business operators, who largely did not comply with international best practices.

She stressed that the consumers had to contend with poor telecoms service delivery, shoddy treatment of airline passengers, defective products without opportunity for redress and operators’ impunity, among others.

[Punch]

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