THE ROLE OF VOLUNTARY CONSUMERS' ASSOCIATIONS IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS IN NIGERIA

Abstract Protecting the consumers of goods and service has become a central issue of concern in many countries of the world, more than, it has ever been. The upsurge of attention in this issue could be ascribed to a number of factors which includes, but not limited to, upsurge in the rates of fake and substandard products and services offered in the market and the resultant health and life-threatening challenges it poses for man. The complex nature of plethora of problems has made the perception of consumers’ to be difficult; for instance, the entirely new dimension of trade malpractices, information asymmetry, and power imbalance between the consumer and manufacturer, and suppliers of products and services. This is made even more difficult as a result of the complex nature of modern products occasioned by the use and adoption of advanced technology, the disadvantaged position of the large majority of consumers vis-a-vis the manufacturers and suppliers of products and services, apathy and high level illiteracy and poverty of many consumers in many countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, and absence of effectual and effective competition and aggressive advertising which often times create false impression about products. To ensure that consumers of products and services are not surcharged through trade malpractices in their dealings with manufacturers and suppliers-governments all over the world, governments usually enact laws and/or establish administrative regulatory measures to check and protect the interests of consumers. Any government that does not take the issue of consumer production serious is being likened to a government that toys with the human right and wellbeing of its people. Consequent on the above, the authors argued that the checks and measures established by governments, do go a long way to ensure that consumer interest is advanced and protected by voluntary non-governmental associations. The paper therefore maintained that the role of voluntary services offered in the market operated to improve the consumer-manufacturer-supplier market chain as well as ensuring the very best for the regime of consumerism.