A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS IN E-COMMERCE DISPUTES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The exponential growth of e-commerce in Nigeria has transformed commercial transactions, generating novel forms of consumer vulnerability that existing legal frameworks were not designed to address. This article critically appraises the adequacy of Nigeria's consumer protection legal architecture as it applies to e-commerce disputes, examining the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2019, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015, the Central Bank of Nigeria Consumer Protection Framework, and a range of ancillary statutes. Drawing on doctrinal legal analysis and comparative insights from the European Union, the United Kingdom, and selected African jurisdictions, the article identifies five structural deficits in the Nigerian framework: legislative fragmentation, absence of technology-specific consumer legislation, weak enforcement infrastructure, jurisdictional gaps in cross-border disputes, and inadequate online dispute resolution mechanisms. The article concludes that Nigeria's current framework is constitutionally grounded but operationally deficient, and argues for the enactment of a dedicated E-Commerce Consumer Protection Act, institutional reform of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, mandatory online dispute resolution infrastructure, and regional harmonisation within the ECOWAS framework.