ABUJA – The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has applauded the Federal High Court ruling over the commission’s powers to regulate consumer protection across all sectors, including telecommunications.

Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, the Director, Corporate Affairs of FCCPC, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Recall that the matter was instituted by Emeka Nnubia, a shareholder of MTN and a legal practitioner, seeking to halt the FCCPC’s investigation into MTN Nigeria.

Ijagwu said that the ruling reemphasised the commission’s mandate, according to sections 17 and 18 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

He said that the primary authority responsible for preventing anti-competitive practices and protecting consumers in Nigeria.

The director said that Nnubia argued that the FCCPC’s inquiry into MTN could violate data protection laws and that regulatory authority over MTN resided with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) rather than the FCCPC.

He said the ruling clarified that Section 90 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which granted NCC jurisdiction over competition matters within the telecommunications industry, must be read alongside Section 104 of the FCCPA 2018.

He said that Section 104 of the FCCPA established FCCPC as the primary regulatory authority on competition and consumer protection across all sectors.

The ruling also confirmed that FCCPC acted within its statutory powers in issuing a summon to MTN Nigeria as part of its ongoing inquiry into potential anti-competitive practices.

”The Summons and Request to Produce was found to be lawful and within the scope of FCCPC’s investigative powers.

”In addition, the court held that the FCCPC’s request for information from MTN did not violate any data protection laws, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the NCA 2003,” he said.

Ijagwu said the approach aligned with global best practices, where consumer protection regulators collaborated with industry-specific regulators.

FCCPC had in Dec, 2024, inaugurated a major inquiry into widespread consumer complaints against leading players in the banking, telecommunications, and aviation sectors.

MTN Nigeria was engaged for persistent complaints of undelivered data services, unexplained data depletion, and inadequate customer care.