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Tunji Bello, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), says rapid technological innovation and the expansion of digital commerce are transforming how modern markets operate.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day competition and consumer protection law conference at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja, Bello highlighted the growing influence of digital platforms, cross-border transactions, and complex corporate structures in shaping market dynamics.
According to a statement issued by Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC, Bello explained that evolving technologies and digital business models are introducing new regulatory and legal challenges for market oversight.
“Technological innovation, digital commerce, cross-border transactions and increasingly complex corporate structures continue to reshape how markets function,” Bello said.
He noted that the rising complexity of market disputes now requires courts to evaluate economic evidence, expert testimony, and market data when determining whether business practices restrict competition or harm consumer welfare.
Bello emphasised that competition and consumer protection laws often find their most practical application within the courtroom, where legal frameworks governing market behaviour are interpreted and clarified.
“It is there that the legal principles governing markets are tested, clarified and given authoritative interpretation,” he said.
The FCCPC chief also highlighted the importance of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which established a comprehensive regulatory framework to address anti-competitive practices, protect consumer rights, review mergers and acquisitions, and strengthen market surveillance in Nigeria.
FCCPC Safeguarding Nigeria’s Business Environment
In her keynote address, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chief Justice of Nigeria, described the FCCPC as a vital institution for protecting the integrity of the country’s marketplace and ensuring fair competition.
She noted that competition and consumer protection law has become one of the fastest-evolving areas of legal practice globally, driven by developments in digital markets, complex corporate structures, and emerging consumer protection challenges.
“Across jurisdictions, competition and consumer protection law has rapidly evolved into one of the most dynamic and litigated fields of legal practice,” she said.
Kekere-Ekun added that the increasing complexity of modern markets is likely to lead to more disputes involving regulatory enforcement, competition law, and consumer rights.
She stressed the importance of sustained collaboration between regulators and the judiciary to ensure effective interpretation and enforcement of the FCCPA.
“Continuous dialogue and knowledge exchange between regulators and the judiciary are indispensable,” she said.
The conference brought together judicial officers, regulators, legal practitioners, scholars, and policy experts. Participants included M. L. Shuaibu, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division; James Gambo Abundaga, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Asaba Division; A. B. Mohammed, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division; B. A. Adejumo, Administrator of the National Judicial Institute; Louis Odion, Executive Commissioner (Operations) at the FCCPC; Moyosore Onigbanjo, former Attorney-General of Lagos State; Babatunde Irukera, former Executive Vice-Chairman of the FCCPC; and Joseph Abugu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
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