Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has argued that customer‘s satisfaction alone is no longer sufficient, but trust, empathy, accessibility and sustainability are extremely important in defining value.

He stated this at the fifthe edition of the Consumers Value Awards (CVA) held in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu was represented by the General Manager, Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Fola Solebo.

Solebo stood in for the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Babatunde Onigbanjo.

Themed, ‘Beyond satisfaction: Redefining consumer value in a new economy,’ Sanwo-Olu described the consumer as a buyer and curator whose choices are increasingly shaped by access to information, social media and economic realities.

He further challenged both government and the private sectors to continue to love, respect and serve the consumer.

On his part, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer National Communications Commission (NCC) Aminu Maida, was represented by Assistant Director, Team Lead, Support Services Lagos Zonal Office Temitope Alli-Balogun noted that the Citizens Scorecard provides a platform for amplifying consumer voices and encouraging responsiveness, transparency and accountability.

On her part, Director-General National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by Head, Reforms Unit/Office of Women and Child Health, Lagos, Joan Abaagu, observed true value in a new economy must be rooted in safety, quality and efficacy.

She also lauded BrandXchange for providing citizens with a direct voice to evaluate brands and public institutions, noting the importance of integrity and transparency in building and sustaining consumer trust.

In his speech, convener CVA, Akonte Ekine, noted, “we believe that consumers and citizens are the paymasters. And paymasters deserve a better experience.”

To him, the five-year journey of the CVA has demonstrated the importance of creating platforms through which consumers can speak, engage and recognise organisations that earn their confidence.

From inception, the platform has recorded over 38,000 votes and engagements, while more than 500 brands have been nominated over the five-year period.

A major highlight of this year’s edition was the Citizens Scorecard, through which participating citizens assessed selected government institutions on their service delivery, responsiveness and public impact.

The Scorecard recorded the following results: Lagos State Printing Corporation — 81.1%: Excellence in Service Delivery; Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) — 46.9%: Outstanding Public Service Impact Award; NCC — 54.8%: Outstanding MDA/Public Service Impact Award; Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) — 38.2%: Citizen-Centric MDA of the Year and NAFDAC as the Most Trusted Public Institution

The results provide another dimension to the CVA platform, moving beyond the recognition of commercial brands to creating space for citizens to express their perceptions of public institutions.

The fifth edition also recognised brands and institutions across various categories, with the awards continuing to place emphasis on Consumer Voice, Consumer Choice and Consumer Value.

Five years after its launch, the CVA has grown from a platform focused primarily on brand recognition into a broader conversation around consumer trust, public accountability, service delivery and the quality of the relationship between institutions and the people they serve.

The awards was organised by BrandXchange, a consumer-focused brand and reputation platform.