Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has called for sustained capacity building among journalists covering competition and consumer protection, saying the specialised beat remains relatively new in Nigeria and requires knowledge that most reporters have not had the opportunity to acquire.
The commission's Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, made the call while receiving executive members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria at the commission's headquarters in Abuja. A statement issued on Sunday said Bello, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner for Operations, Louis Odion, recognised the importance of equipping journalists with the knowledge required to properly report competition and consumer protection issues. He said the commission would consider the association's request for training and further engagement. "Competition reporting is indeed new in our jurisdiction," Bello said, assuring the association that its request for training and engagement would receive due consideration and be followed up appropriately.
Bello said the relative novelty of competition law and consumer protection regulation in Nigeria had made stakeholder education a priority for the commission. He disclosed that the FCCPC had recently supported a training programme for judges through the National Judicial Institute to deepen their understanding of competition-related matters. "We recognised that because it is a new terrain, the judges themselves are not familiar with the nuances. So we brought in competition experts," he said. The disclosure underscored the commission's view that the knowledge gap in competition law extends beyond the media to the judiciary itself, a recognition that even those who adjudicate disputes arising from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act require specialised exposure to the emerging field.
The FCCPC boss also highlighted the role of the media in increasing public awareness of the commission and its activities, saying sustained media coverage had helped Nigerians become more familiar with the agency. He said many Nigerians were largely unaware of the FCCPC until recent years, but credited journalists with helping to raise its public profile. "If FCCPC is becoming more known to the public, it is as a result of the kind of publicity you have given us," Bello said. "When something happens here, and we issue a statement, it often receives front-page treatment, and we do not take that for granted." He reaffirmed the commission's commitment to supporting stakeholders within its available resources, noting that the agency funds major aspects of its operations, including litigation, staff welfare and regulatory activities, from internally generated revenue.
Earlier, the Abuja Chairman of CICAN, Gabriel Kuma, said the association remained committed to constructive journalism and stronger engagement with regulatory institutions. Kuma said effective regulation required a professional relationship between regulators and the media, built around openness, accountability and access to accurate information. "We are open to constructive reporting that holds institutions accountable. We believe that a strong regulator should have a strong media relationship, one built on openness, professionalism, mutual respect and access to accurate information. Where you need the support of the media in educating Nigerians, explaining important regulatory developments or creating greater awareness about consumer rights and fair competition, you can count on CICAN," he said. He urged the commission to deepen its engagement with key stakeholders, particularly the media and the organised private sector, to enhance public understanding of competition and consumer protection issues.
The engagement comes amid a period of heightened activity for the FCCPC under Bello's leadership. The commission has been at the centre of a major investigation into global technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms following a directive from President Bola Tinubu in July 2026. The investigation was prompted by a petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation, which alleged that dominant digital platforms had used Nigerian media content without fair compensation and engaged in anti-competitive practices. The FCCPC is expected to examine whether the conduct of companies including Meta, Google and X violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. In a related development, the commission has issued a draft guidance note on AI-generated and digitally altered content in consumer communications, signalling a growing focus on emerging technologies and their implications for consumers. The commission has also secured previous enforcement victories, including a tribunal ruling upholding a $220 million penalty against Meta over alleged violations of Nigeria's consumer and data protection laws.
The request for media training also reflects a broader challenge in Nigeria's regulatory landscape. Competition law and consumer protection are relatively recent additions to the country's legal framework, and the complexity of the issues involved, from merger control and abuse of dominance to misleading advertising and product safety, demands a level of specialised knowledge that few reporters have had the opportunity to develop. The FCCPC's willingness to support capacity building for journalists is consistent with its approach to the judiciary, where it has invested in training to ensure that judges can effectively adjudicate competition disputes. If the commission extends similar support to the media, it could improve the quality of reporting on consumer issues and strengthen public understanding of the rights and remedies available to consumers.
CICAN, which will mark its 20th anniversary with a national dialogue on the Federal Government's one trillion dollar economy agenda, has positioned itself as a partner in the effort to improve public understanding of economic and regulatory issues. The anniversary event, scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, will be held under the theme, "FG's $1 Trillion Economy: Role of Policy Makers, Stakeholders and Media in Its Actualisation." According to the anniversary committee, the dialogue will provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the policies, reforms, investments and partnerships required to drive industrialisation, expand trade, attract investment, increase productivity and strengthen Nigeria's economic growth. The FCCPC's engagement with CICAN is expected to feed into that broader conversation about the media's role in shaping economic policy and holding institutions accountable.
For the FCCPC, the partnership with the media is both a practical necessity and a strategic priority. A regulator that depends on public awareness and voluntary compliance cannot function effectively without a press corps capable of explaining its mandate, reporting its enforcement actions and holding it accountable. For the media, the relationship offers access to information, expertise and training that can deepen coverage of an area that affects every Nigerian who buys goods or services. As Bello put it, competition reporting is indeed new in Nigeria, but the commission appears committed to ensuring that the journalists who cover it are equipped to do so accurately and professionally. Whether that commitment translates into concrete training programmes and sustained engagement will be determined in the coming months, but the conversation has been placed on the record.
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