The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello has stressed the critical role of Nigeria’s judiciary in shaping competition law and protecting consumer rights as markets grow more complex.
Bello made the remark at a collaborative judicial training programme organised by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the National Judicial Institute for judges and sector regulators in Abuja.
He said the courts play a central role in interpreting the country’s competition and consumer protection laws, particularly as technological innovation, digital commerce and cross-border transactions reshape modern markets.
“Competition and consumer protection law often finds its most practical expression in the courtroom. It is there that the legal principles governing markets are tested, clarified and given authoritative interpretation,” Bello said.
According to him, the training programme is designed to strengthen the capacity of judicial officers to address complex economic and regulatory issues that increasingly arise in courtrooms.
“It is therefore important that judicial officers remain well equipped to approach these issues with clarity and confidence,” he stated.
The FCCPC chief explained that Nigeria’s competition framework is anchored on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, which established the Commission as the country’s primary authority for promoting fair competition and protecting consumer welfare.
“The Act introduced a comprehensive national regime governing anticompetitive conduct, consumer protection, mergers and acquisitions review, and market surveillance,” Bello noted.
He said that as the implementation of the law evolves, the judiciary’s role in interpreting its provisions remains crucial to developing clear and predictable competition jurisprudence in Nigeria.
Bello further said that regulators and courts are increasingly dealing with disputes arising from changing market practices across several sectors of the economy.
“Many of these matters involve complex factual records, economic evidence and questions concerning the interaction between general competition law and sector-specific regulatory frameworks,” he said.
The FCCPC boss also highlighted the importance of cooperation between regulators and the judiciary in strengthening Nigeria’s economic governance.
“Regulatory institutions operate at the frontline of market monitoring, investigation and administrative enforcement, while the judiciary provides authoritative interpretation of statutory provisions and resolves disputes arising from regulatory actions,” he explained.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun while speaking underscored the critical role of the judiciary in strengthening Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection framework in an evolving economic environment.
Addressing judges, regulators and legal practitioners, the Chief Justice stressed that courts play a decisive role in shaping how competition laws are applied and enforced in Nigeria’s market-driven economy.
Justice Kekere-Ekun added that the training programme was designed to deepen understanding of the legal and economic principles underpinning competition regulation, particularly as markets become increasingly complex due to digital commerce and cross-border trade.