By Juliet Umeh

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark 2024 Consumer Right Day, the Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to protect the small and medium size enterprises, SMEs and also consumers for economic growth.

The State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who said that mutual understanding between consumers and producers underscored the symbiotic and interdependent relationship that existed between the two entities within any economy, made the commitment on Friday, at a conference and exhibition to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day.

The event organised by the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, LASCOPA, was with theme: “Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers.”

While noting that his administration will keep ensuring favourable environment that promotes fair competition, he urged consumers and producers to foster an enduring partnership, rather than relationships that could impede sustainable growth and development in the economic value chain.

The Governor said: “Consumers and producers are not adversaries but rather partners in a complex economic ecosystem.

“While consumers rely on producers to supply goods and services, producers, in turn, depend on consumer demand to drive their businesses forward,” he added.

In the same vein, General Manager LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, said that developers and companies must prioritize ethical considerations in ensuring that AI benefits the society as a whole.

Solebo noted that responsible AI involved transparency and accountability,

According to him, consumers deserve to know how their data is being used and have the right to understand the decisions made by AI systems.

Also in his speech, the global direct selling company, QNET’s Regional Manager for sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Biram Fall, appreciated LASCOPA for inviting them at the conference.

Fall who was represented by the Company’s Senior Regional Legal Counsel for Sub Sahara Africa, Nana Quartey, said: “World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness and advocate for consumer rights protection; more so, in this technological age where it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the real from the fake.

“This day is a reminder that consumers have the right to be protected from unfair business practices, with access to safe, quality goods and services.

“It also highlights the importance of governments, businesses, and stakeholders working together to promote consumer rights and address consumer concerns globally.”

Speaking on consumer rights, Fall stated that it is important to acknowledge and understand consumer rights’ fundamental importance today.

According to him, “Consumer rights ensure that individuals are protected from exploitation and fraud; they have the right to safety, information, choice, and redress if they encounter issues with products or services.

“These rights form the cornerstone of fair and ethical business practices and are essential for fostering trust between consumers and businesses anywhere in the world.

“Consumer education is a powerful tool that equips individuals with the knowledge to protect themselves from fraudulent trade practices and exploitative market behaviours,” he added.

While pointing on QNET’s commitment to consumer rights protection and advocacy, Fall explained: “At QNET, we are deeply committed to protecting the rights of our customers and promoting a culture of transparency, integrity, and trust.

“Through initiatives such as educational campaigns and awareness programs, we strive to empower consumers with the information they need to navigate the marketplace confidently.

“We also recently launched two campaigns, the social awareness campaign and the Say No Campaign. “These campaigns perfectly reflect QNET’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and consumer empowerment.

“QNET has further implemented robust grievance redressal mechanisms to address customer concerns promptly and effectively.

“In response to the prevalence of fraud cases misusing our brand name, a comprehensive fraud-proofing strategy has been implemented to ensure our integrity. “These include proactive steps, such as the Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) initiative wherein every distributor promoter of our products must verify their identity in our system with a government issued ID.

“We also publish warnings and notices on our corporate website and blog to enhance security and disseminate crucial information.

“In addition to these, we have launched a dedicated Complaint Mechanism (via email and WhatsApp) that provides avenues for our customers and distributors promoters to engage with us ion matters that affect their rights as customers.”

He added: “These collective efforts underscore our dedication to creating a secure business environment for our customers and at the same time, collaborate with the authorities in holding fraudsters accountable.”