FCCPC To Consider Capacity Building For Journalists On Competition, Consumer Rights

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it will consider a request to train journalists who report on competition and consumer rights, admitting that the subject is still fairly new to Nigeria.

The commission’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, gave the assurance in Abuja, in a statement issued recently when newly elected executives of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) visited its headquarters.

Bello, who was represented by Louis Odion, the Executive Commissioner for Operations, said the association’s request for training and closer engagement would receive “due consideration and be followed up appropriately.” He noted that competition reporting is still new in Nigeria, and that the same is true of competition law and consumer protection rules, which makes educating stakeholders a big part of the commission’s job.

As an example, he said the commission recently backed a training programme for judges through the National Judicial Institute, so they could better understand the finer points of competition cases. Competition reporting covers how fairly companies compete and how consumers are protected from unfair practices.

The FCCPC head also thanked the media for helping more Nigerians get to know the commission. He said its statements often get front-page treatment, adding that any rise in its public profile comes from “the kind of publicity you have given us.”

Bello thanked the association for its partnership and said the commission was ready to keep working with it in the interest of stronger consumer protection.

Earlier, CICAN’s Abuja Chairman, Gabriel Kuma, said the association was committed to constructive journalism and a professional relationship with regulators built on openness, professionalism and mutual respect. “We are open to constructive reporting that holds institutions accountable,” he said.

He said CICAN could also help the commission explain regulatory developments and raise public awareness of consumer rights and fair competition.

Meanwhile, CICAN will mark its 20th anniversary with a national dialogue on the Federal Government’s $1 trillion economy agenda, according to the anniversary committee. The event is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, under the theme “FG’s $1 Trillion Economy: Role of Policy Makers, Stakeholders and Media in Its Actualisation.”