By Nkechi Eze
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to strengthen collaboration with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in the ongoing fight against corruption, market exploitation, and unethical business practices across Nigeria.
This renewed alliance was cemented during a courtesy visit by officials of the FCCPC to the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, led by FCCPC’s Zonal Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammad. The visit, according to a statement issued by the FCCPC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, marks a strategic step towards deepening inter-agency efforts aimed at enhancing consumer protection and enforcing fair market practices.
Welcoming the delegation, Acting Director of the EFCC Kaduna Zonal Directorate, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, applauded the FCCPC for initiating the partnership, noting that the collaboration would serve not just the interests of both agencies, but the Nigerian public at large.
“There is need for collaboration in this regard in order to win the fight against corruption, monopoly, and bring an end to various anti-societal policies which end up causing untold hardship to individuals, especially regarding the issues of ‘no refund policy,’ even when a consumer is not satisfied with services rendered or products purchased,” Kaltungo stated.
He further stressed that working together to expose and prosecute cases of commercial malpractice would ensure greater accountability in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.
Earlier in his remarks, Ibrahim Muhammad said the FCCPC’s decision to seek closer collaboration with the EFCC in Kaduna followed the recent establishment of its Zonal Office in the state. He expressed optimism that the partnership would deliver tangible benefits to residents of Kaduna and neighbouring communities by reinforcing consumer rights and promoting a culture of ethical business conduct.
“The people in Kaduna and its environs will begin to enjoy the mandates of FCCPC, which are geared towards protecting consumers’ rights and interests and promoting ethical conduct among product and service providers, thus ensuring standardised practices. We need the collaboration with EFCC to drive enforcement,” he stated.
Both agencies used the meeting to explore avenues for joint enforcement operations, intelligence sharing, and public sensitisation campaigns targeted at addressing corruption and regulatory breaches in the marketplace.
The engagement concluded with a shared commitment to intensify awareness initiatives and ensure compliance with extant laws, as both the EFCC and FCCPC pledged to work hand-in-hand to sanitise Nigeria’s economic landscape.
