World Consumer Day: LASCOPA resolves 11,000 consumer complaints, recovers N860m

Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) says it has resolved more than 11,000 consumer rights violation cases and recovered over N860 million for residents in the last five years.

The General Manager of LASCOPA, Mr Afolabi Solebo, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen during a roadshow organised to commemorate the World Consumer Rights Day in Lagos.

Solebo led staff of the agency on a sensitisation walk from the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, through Allen Roundabout to Shoprite Shopping Mall, noting that the initiative was aimed at raising awareness about consumer rights.

He said, “Averagely, we treat nothing less than 2,000 cases of consumer rights violations each year.

“We have treated over 12,000 cases of consumer breaches in the last five years and more than 11,000 of those cases have been resolved.

“If we recovered over N860 million through negotiations in Lagos, it shows that consumers are winning and will continue to win, particularly in Lagos.”

According to Solebo, the roadshow formed part of activities marking World Consumer Rights Day, celebrated globally every March 15 to promote consumer awareness and protection.

He said the theme for the 2026 celebration, “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” emphasised the need for consumers to trust the quality of products and services they purchase.

“We want consumers in Lagos to have confidence in the products they buy and for manufacturers to also have confidence in the quality of what they sell to the public,” he said.

Solebo noted that consumer rights violations occur across several sectors including electricity, banking, online transactions, logistics, transportation, hospitality, education and healthcare services.

He urged residents to always report cases of rights violations rather than suffer in silence.

“Consumers must get value for money and satisfaction for whatever products they buy or services rendered.

“There is nothing like ‘no refund policy’. If you are not satisfied with a product or service, you have the right to seek redress,” Solebo added.

Also, the Secretary and Head of Legal, LASCOPA, Mrs Arinola Momoh-Ayokanmbi, said the agency had prosecuted some businesses for violating consumer protection laws, including the sale of expired products.

She urged consumers to exercise due diligence before making purchases and always keep their receipts to facilitate dispute resolution.

According to her, the agency is committed to promoting fair trade practices and protecting consumers without undermining legitimate business activities.

The roadshow featured music, distribution of flyers and display of placards with messages encouraging residents to know their rights, report complaints and reject unfair trade practices.