FG Investigates Banks, Telcos, Airlines Over Customer Complaints

• The FCCPC has launched investigations into GTB, MTN, and Air Peace based on consumer complaints about poor service delivery and exploitative practices
• The inquiries, scheduled for December 3rd to 5th, will address violations of consumer rights under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has initiated comprehensive investigations into consumer complaints against major players in Nigeria’s banking, telecommunications, and aviation sectors.

Ondaje Ijagwu, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, announced the inquiry in a statement on Sunday, emphasizing the Commission’s commitment to addressing issues of poor service delivery, exploitative practices, and violations of consumer rights.

The investigations, scheduled to commence on December 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively, will focus on the following:

The FCCPC will engage Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) over recurring complaints about network failures, which have reportedly prevented customers from accessing their funds or using banking applications effectively.

MTN Nigeria will be queried regarding widespread grievances, including undelivered data services, unexplained data depletion, and inadequate customer care support.

Air Peace Limited is under scrutiny for alleged exploitative ticket pricing, with a particular focus on significant price increases for bookings on domestic routes.

The FCCPC emphasized that the inquiries align with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 provisions, specifically Sections 17, 18, 32, 33, 80, 110, 111, 112, and 113.

These sections empower the Commission to investigate practices that infringe on consumer rights, disrupt market fairness, or foster unfair competition.