The Lagos State government has said it will continue to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through the creation of an enabling environment that will promote fair competition and protect consumer rights.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gave the assurance on Friday, at a conference and exhibition to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day, held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Also speaking at the event, the Regional Manager for QNET Sub Saharan Africa, Mr. Biram Fall, who was represented by QNET’s Senior Regional Legal Counsel for Sub Sahara Africa, Nana Quartey, expressed the deep commitment of QNET to protect the rights of SMEs and its customers through the promotion of a culture of transparency, integrity and trust.
The conference, with the theme: ‘Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers’, was organised by Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA).
World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated annually on March 15.
The annual event is used to draw attention to the plight of consumers world over, with a view to ensuring the rights of consumers are not only protected, but also promoted.
The governor said mutual understanding between consumers and producers underscored the symbiotic and interdependent relationship that existed between the two entities within any economy.
He therefore, urged consumers and producers to foster an enduring partnership, rather than relationships that could impede sustainable growth and development in the economic value chain.
Earlier in his welcome address, General Manager LASCOPA, Mr. Afolabi Solebo, said that developers and companies must prioritize ethical considerations in ensuring that AI benefits the society as a whole.
Solebo noted that responsible AI involved transparency and accountability,
According to him, consumers deserve to know how their data is being used and have the right to understand the decisions made by AI systems.
While stressing the rights of consumers, Fall said consumers have the right to be protected from unfair business practices, with access to safe, quality goods and services.
“It is important to acknowledge and understand consumer rights’ fundamental importance today. Consumer rights ensure that individuals are protected from exploitation and fraud; they have the right to safety, information, choice, and redress if they encounter issues with products or services.
These rights form the cornerstone of fair and ethical business practices and are essential for fostering trust between consumers and businesses anywhere in the world,” Fall said.
Speaking about QNET’s commitment to consumer rights protection and advocacy, Fall said: “Through initiatives such as educational campaigns and awareness programmess, QNET strives to empower consumers with the information they need to navigate the marketplace confidently. We also recently launched two campaigns, the social awareness campaign and the Say No Campaign. These campaigns perfectly reflect QNET’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and consumer empowerment.
“QNET has further implemented robust grievance redressal mechanisms to address customer concerns promptly and effectively. In response to the prevalence of fraud cases misusing our brand name, a comprehensive fraud-proofing strategy has been implemented to ensure our integrity. These include proactive steps, such as the Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) initiative wherein every distributor and promoter of our products must verify their identity in our system with a government issued ID. We also publish warnings and notices on our corporate website and blog to enhance security and disseminate crucial information. In addition to these, we have launched a dedicated Complaint Mechanism (via email and WhatsApp) that provides avenues for our customers and distributors and promoters to engage with us on matters that affect their rights as customers.”
These collective efforts underscore our dedication to creating a secure business environment for our customers and at the same time, collaborate with the authorities in holding fraudsters accountable, Fall further said.