Lagos government backs group on competition law

Lagos State government has thrown its behind the call for competition law by a coalition of private sector organisations, civil societies and consumer rights advocacy group.

“We are in all force with you in this your campaign and we will tell the various people in the corporate world, the legislature to assist in ensuring that this competition bill is passed by the National Assembly,” said Rotimi Ogunleye, the commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives

He said this while addressing members of the group as they took a walk to create public awareness for the promotion and enactment into law of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to  his office in Alausa, Ikeja Friday.

Ogunleye said: “We also in Lagos State have the consumer protection law which was enacted in 2014. Here in this ministry, apart from creating the enabling environment for people to produce and manufacture goods we are very interested in their certification, that is why we also collaborate with NAFDAC, SON and various agencies that are involved in ensuring quality control.

“We are taking steps to ensuring that our consumer protection law is made operational so that the agency can really start working because the law is already there, it’s left for us to get it functional.”

The group also took their walk down to Lagos Television where the group solicited for media partnership in the interest of the Nigerian consumer.

“In Nigeria, consumers have suffered for years and no one can take care of their interest. We have been interfacing with members of the public, most of whom have no idea what competition bill is all about but we cannot meet to interface with everyone. This is why we have come to ask you to use your medium to disseminate the information so that Nigerians in other parts of the country would hear about it and the bill is passed so the interest of our consumers can be protected,” said Eke Ubiji, the spokesperson for the group.

Deji Balogun, general manager, Lagos Television said: “I align with the objectives of this coalition. I will look at the objectives that you wish to achieve. Of course, competition drives the market where consumer is king. We agree with you, we’ll support you. We have a lot of platforms, we are the only television station in Lagos that broadcast in all the languages, so you are sure of reaching audiences in six different languages,” he said.

According to the coalition, “If the bill is passed into law, some of the benefits include creating job opportunities, it means that a lot of industries would be producing quality products; low prices for all – when more people can afford to buy products, it encourages businesses to produce and boost the economy in general; better quality – competition also encourages businesses to improve the quality of goods and services.”

CHINWE AGBEZE