CPC to collaborate with APCON to protect consumers’ rights
The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) was collaborating with the Advertisement Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to protect the rights of consumers, Dupe Atoki, the CPC Director-General, said during a courtesy visit to APCON’s office at Iganmu, Lagos, on Monday.
Atoki said that the collaboration was to sanitise the advertising industry and also to safeguard the rights of consumers.
“During a sales promotion, some companies will promise what they cannot give to consumers. They do that to extort the consumer, this is not encouraging. Part of the mandate of the CPC is to regulate and control such acts in the advertising industry, “ Atoki said.
She said that the CPC collaboration with APCON would enforce corporate bodies to comply with advertising agencies’ regulations.
According to her, advertising companies must pass through the CPC before they can be certified by APCON.
“Most of the companies go through APCON to advertise their products on air without being verified and certified by the Consumer Protection Council.
“The synergy between the two agencies will help to purify the industry and also help consumers to know and claim their rights,’’ the director said.
Earlier, Mr Garba Kankarofi, APCON’s Registrar, said that his council was ready to partner CPC to assist consumers to understand and claim their rights.
Kankarofi said that such collaboration was to strengthen the relationships between the duo.
“Consumers have been complaining over the terms of their rights from servicing companies. With collaboration with CPC, such claims and rights will be protected.
“APCON will not certify any company for advertisement without being registered, certified and verified by the Consumer Protection Council because it is the first regulating body for consumers’ rights.
“Most companies uses sales’ promotions to extort consumers and this is discouraging, “ he said.
He, therefore, pledged that APCON would support CPC to move the industry forward.
(NAN)