From March and August this year, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) received 8,255 complaints from aggrieved Nigerians.
According to a statement by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the commission, Ondaje Ijagwu, it also recovered about N10 billion for dissatisfied Nigerians within the period.
The breakdown of the top 10 sectors that recorded the highest complaints shows that the banking sector led the pack with 3,173 complaints. It was followed by fast-moving consumer goods (FCMG) with 1,543, while fintech recorded 1,442 complaints.
The electricity sector attracted 458 cases, e-commerce recorded 412 cases, while 409 complaints were brought against operators in the telecommunications sector.
Retail/wholesale/shopping recorded 329, aviation with 243, information technology witnessed 131 cases, while 114 cases were recorded in the road transport and logistics.
The data covers consumer grievances ranging from unfair charges, service failure, unauthorised deductions, deceptive marketing, poor disclosure of terms, product defects, and failure to provide redress within acceptable timelines.
The commission revealed that the total number of complaints resolved during the reporting period was 9091, while total recoveries for consumers exceeded N10 billion, which reflects both the scale of harm experienced and the significant financial burden borne by consumers in the absence of effective redress.
The commission stated that the publication of sector-specific complaint data aligns with the Commission’s mandate under Sections 17(a), 17(j) of the FCCPA 2018, which empower it to enforce consumer protection laws and make information on its functions available to the public.
Reacting to the findings today, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr. Tunji Bello, said: “These numbers are not just statistics; they tell the story of consumer frustration, and the daily challenges Nigerians face in essential services. However, the FCCPC is determined to hold businesses accountable, ensure compliance with the FCCPA, and promote fair market practices that protect the welfare of all consumers.”
The banking sector emerged as the dominant source of consumer complaints, both in volume and financial exposure, highlighting recurring issues in loan deductions, account charges, and transaction disputes, and reflecting public reliance on the FCCPC to intervene in systemic financial service challenges.
Banking and fintech dominate by financial impact, showing consumer vulnerability where services are both essential and high value, signalling an urgent need for stronger joint regulation with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
With 458 reported complaints, the electricity sector ranks 4th overall, behind banking, financial services, and FCMG, highlighting persistent billing disputes, service delivery failures, and the need for stronger coordination between the FCCPC, NERC, state electricity regulatory agencies and electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
E-commerce disputes are relatively low-value but high-frequency, signalling broad consumer exposure at the retail level. While average monetary losses per complaint are low, the volume and recurrence of disputes (deliveries, refunds, counterfeit goods) reveal e-commerce as a growing consumer pain point.
The commission noted that the report of the high incidence of disputes linked to digital lending, investment schemes, and microfinance services coincides with the unveiling of a new regulation by FCCPC to curb abuses in the digital lending sector.
The Commission is intensifying monitoring, enforcement, and collaboration with sector regulators to address these concerns. Focus is on financial and utility services, where recurring patterns of consumer exploitation require corrective action.
