- : Ms Word, Ms Word Format
- : 67 Pages
- : ₦5000
- : 1-5 Chapters
- Click to DOWNLOAD Materials
E-COMMERCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION IN NIGERIA: ADVERTISEMENT AND FALSE DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the study
Nigeria has certainly benefitted from this new global order of e-commerce transactions and has witnessed exponential development of certain industries through the adaptation of the technology. However, the regulation of the e-commerce sector has practically been left to the architecture of the internet and the ingenuity of the investors and technopreneurs without any precise focal law to govern transactions and business behaviours on the internet Ayokunle, (2016). Electronic commerce is not only challenging traditional business methods but is also having a massive impact on consumers’ habits. The growing importance of e-commerce and the spreading of the Internet, which is having profound changes on almost all aspects of our society and life, has recently called for the drafting of new legal instruments, both at global and European level, in order to put the regulation of the internet on a more solid foundation and to better regulate the activities carried out through this medium. The principal legal framework for consumer protection in Nigeria is over two decades old, the Nigerian Consumer Protection Council Act 1992. Nigerian Constitution, (1999) The growing importance of e-commerce has changed the situation. Indeed, e-commerce has pushed legislators, both at national and international level, to adopt new legal instruments to deal with it and to foster its development. It is undisputedly clear that the Act cannot meet the challenges of e-commerce transactions and that no single government or nation can completely regulate the Internet or e-commerce. Co-operation amongst States and international organisations is necessary in order to harmonise the existing rules and to give that certainty and predictability that business activity needs when taking place over the internet.
In providing concrete regulations within these subject matters, emphasis should be upon the service providers to provide their services in line with the requirement of the law. Thus, consumers are better assured of their rights in cases of breach. Also, care must be taken to ensure that the emphasis is not only on contracts concluded by the internet but all contracts concluded by the use of electronic devices. The validity of a contract within e-commerce must be clearly defined and the conditions must be ascertainable.
While progress has been achieved in the Evidence Act 2011, with regards to the admissibility of electronically generated evidence, this in itself cannot achieve the intended drive for a regulated e-commerce economy. The Electronic Transaction Act, 2015 which is designed to facilitate electronic transactions in Nigeria. Issues raised in the Act are something that needs to be discussed because for Nigeria to become an active player in e-commerce, the enabling legal environment to enable electronic transactions need to be created in order to ensure equal opportunities, equality and economic development. It will further allow for the implementation of e-government services, improving the quality of services and reducing the cost of services, and increasing transparency and efficiency in the procurement and sale of goods and services. Therefore, the paper aims to promote public confidence on the Bill as well as enhance competitiveness in e-commerce.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Statement of the Problem The existence of the imbalance of knowledge and power relationship between the producers of
goods and services and customers led to the ugly marketing environment and situations that consumers were exposed to. Over the years, they were subjected to severe exploitations. They were continuously supplied substandard, fake and at times expired products. In physical products,
producers and dealers create artificial scarcity in order to make superfluous profits through over overpricing. In advertising, consumers were deliberately deceived by some desperate producers and dealers. In service industry, consumers were made to pay exorbitant estimated PHCN bills without services being rendered. In transportation, consumers were made to pay high transportation fares only to be provided with dilapidated vehicles that break down on the road leaving a lot of then stranded. In telecommunications consumers were overcharged, pay for unconnected calls, face a lot of drop calls and network congestions, subjected to low national network coverage despite the claims of service providers that one is covered everywhere one goes.
On the part of consumers themselves, they accept and pay for goods without adequate assurance of quality and quantity. The government agency and official responsible for consumer protection seem not to monitor adequately the activities of producers and dealers. All these resulted to the massive exploitation suffered by consumers. It is against this backdrop that this study seeks to examine the role of Consumer Protection Council in protecting the consumers against these activities of producers of goods and services.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
To examine the effect of CBN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria
To examine the effect of FGN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria
To examine the challenges e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria
1.4 Research Questions
What is the effect of CBN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria?
What is the effect of FGN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria?
What is the challenges e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria?
1.5 Hypothesis
There is no significant effect of CBN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria
There is no significant effect of FGN e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria
There is no significant effect of challenges e-ecommerce regulations on consumer protection in Nigeria.
1.6 Significance of study
The researcher firmly believes that the result of this research work will enable Nigerian policy makers, to know that e-commerce is inescapable, and why we must have a proper vision of its consequence and understand how we would take advantages of its opportunities.
The study will help to show the gains that a country can achieve by engaging in e-commerce.
The research study will show the process through which development can be ushered in with the use of e-commerce. The study will serve as a reference material for future and further researchers in this field of study and tends to expand the horizon of existing knowledge to a frontier.
- Limitations of the study
In every research work, it is likely that the researcher may encounter some limitations. The researcher encountered some challenges during the period of carrying out this research. Some of these challenges include the dearth of materials for a proper and effective research work constituted a major limitation. Again, how to get the true and required information from the students through questionnaire also constituted a constraint in the study.
Finally, there was the problem of convincing the respondents on the primary objectives of the questionnaire so as to give the true and required information.
1.8 Methodology
In this research work, qualitative method of inquiry was adapted, which relies on the use of secondary data. The information that served the basis of my analysis was sourced from books, periodicals, journals, internet daily’s and other relevant official records and documents from business organizations (industries and companies). The research reviewed scholarly literature on the topic of study.
