THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSUMERISM IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

In a free economy, businesses can deliver abundant goods and services to those who can afford them, but could make consumers vulnerable due to unscrupulous practices of certain organizations. Nigeria as a third-world country has had consumerism more in the form of government legislation and enforcement than organized consumer associations. Thirty-Seven years after the first consumer protection agency was established, cases of consumer rights abuse are still preponderant. The aim of this exploratory and conceptual study is to assess the performance of agencies in charge of consumer rights protection on the basis of their statutory functions. The study finds that, for the most part, the agencies are below par in performance with very poor level of awareness among Nigerian consumers who are reluctant to enforce their rights. This reluctance is largely due to poor level of education among Nigerian consumers, unnecessarily rigid judicial system which protects the manufacturers and marketers, coupled with the non-committed attitude of the government towards protecting consumer rights. The government should ensure immediate establishment of Consumer Protection Council committees in all states of the federation as provided by the Act, enforce the use of warranties, and direct other agencies to vigorously create awareness and bring defaulting organizations to book. This would go a long way in making the Nigerian consumer more assertive and conscious of his responsibilities.