Strengthening Competition Regimes: 7Up4 Project Impact in Nigeria

1. Constituency Building for Competition Reforms in West AfricaFINAL PROJECT CONFERENCEStrengthening Constituencies for Effective Competition Regimes in Select West African Countries (7Up4 project)6-7 August 2010Hotel Novotel, Dakar, SenegalOUTPUT, OUTCOME AND IMPACT OF THE 7Up4 PROJECT IN NIGERIA.Presented byADEDEJI, Babatunde AbiodunCoordinator-General,Consumers Empowerment Organisation of Nigeria (CEON)Email: adedejia67@yahoo.com; ceon_camon@yahoo.com; info@ceon-camon.orgTel Mob: +234-7030-330-199 ;   +234-8077-576-604 www.ceon-camon.org Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

2. GENERAL BACKGROUND- SITUATION BEFORE 7Up4 PROJECT- • No competition policy • No competition law • Six draft competition bills at the national Assembly (non passed into law) • General Low awareness on competition issues among stakeholders (Government, Consumers, Media, Parliamentarians) • Lack of consensus among relevant Government MDAs on which Ministry or Agency to house the new Competition Agency • Absence of non-state actors / NGOs advocacy activities on Competition Law and Issues Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

3. ACTIVITIES OF 7Up4 PROJECT (as conducted in Nigeria) • Research • Capacity Building Training (NTW) • Dialogue / Meeting • Advocacy Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

4. OUTPUT (Research) • Preliminary Country Paper - a base paper that assisted members of the NRG to enter into the debate on competition. - It laid the foundation for the more detailed research • Country Research Report - It revealed advocacy issues for roadmap to competition reforms in Nigeria Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

5. OUTPUT (Capacity Building Training) • National Training Workshop - Increased understanding and appreciation of competition laws and issues by Stakeholders (Government representatives, Media, CSOs, Business Associations etc) - Profile of competition policy, law and issues within the context of national development raised among the relevant Government Ministries and Agencies involves in the issue of competition in Nigeria. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

6. OUTPUT (Dialogue/Meeting) • National Reference Group (NRG) - NRG constituted and transformed into informal national stakeholders on competition reforms and consumer protection in Nigeria - Consensus drafting of roadmap to competition reforms in Nigeria by representatives of Government agencies, CSOs, Development Programmes (ENABLE), and Business Association (MAN) -A channel enabling NRG members’ discussions and action points on project findings to inform policy established. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

7. OUTPUT (Roles of Media) • over 20 publications/reports of 7Up4 project activities in print media and six reports of events in electronic media – radio and TV) Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

8. OUTPUT (Roles of CEON) • Credibility of CEON asserted as ‘actor’ in national competition reforms – thus motivating us to pursue the competition reforms agenda further in future. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

9. OUTCOME • Resuscitation of discussion / dialogue among relevant government agencies on the need for competition law and policy in Nigeria • Relevant government agencies competing for host of proposed competition commission in charge of competition issue were brought together and now speak with one voice on roadmap to competition reforms in Nigeria (Government agencies like: BPE, CPC, FMJ, NERC, FMC&I, NIPC) • Increase / better reporting on completion law and issues in the media Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

10. OUTCOME (Cont.) • Process for Advocacy activities for competition reforms in Nigeria Initiated • Initiation of efforts at establishing a National Competition Policy • Process to stop the proliferation of Draft Competition Bills at the National Assembly Initiated • Invitation of Mr. Adedeji Babatunde, Coordinator-General, CEON (last month, July 2010) to participate in the Inaugural Dialogue of the Business Environment Network (BEN) which activities focused on “enhancing the legislative and institutional framework for the effective and efficient resolution of business-related disputes in Nigeria” Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

11. OUTCOME (Cont.) • The BEN is an Incorporated Trustee whose membership is made up of some Honourable Members of the House of Representatives (‘The House’). The main objective of BEN is to create a platform for the education and dialogue amongst the various arms of Government, the Private Sector and interested Stakeholders in general about business-related bills that are brought before the House before these are passed into law. • The House of Representative Committee on Commerce also sent two draft bills (i) An Act to Regulate the Business of Equipment Leasing in Nigeria of 2009 and (ii) A bill for an Act to establish the Chartered Institute of Professional Secretariat Staff of Nigeria of 2008 to CEON in March this year for Input and also for CEON to participate at the public hearing on the two bills. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

12. CEON`S FUTURE PLANS IN NIGERIA ON COMPETITION ISSUES • Initiate discussion for establishment of a National Competition Policy • To stop the proliferation of Draft Competition Bills at the National Assembly (6 draft Bills with none passed into law) and advocate for enactment of one of bills into law. • To increase awareness on the benefits of an effective competition regime amongst politicians and law makers in Nigeria. • Continuing with efforts to boost awareness of competition issues among all key stakeholders (government, sector regulators, business etc) Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

13. CEON`S FUTURE PLANS IN NIGERIA ON COMPETITION ISSUES (Cont.) • To sustain the current dialogue and understanding among the relevant government agencies members of the NRG on the ideal host’ of the proposed competition authority, AND on consensus bill out of the present six draft bills to be push forward for adoption / enactment into Law. • Strong lobby / representation to the Presidency on the need for Presidential influence to accelerate the process of enactment of Nigeria Competition Law. • To reduce the impact of vested interests and strong lobbies against a competition law in Nigeria. • To sensitise and educate the common consumers and general public on competition issues and its benefits. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

14. CEON`S FUTURE PLANS IN NIGERIA ON COMPETITION ISSUES (Cont.) • To conduct capacity building training targeted at Media representatives in the Lagos region of the country. • To carry-out advocacy for the introduction of degree programme on competition policy, law and consumer protection in the Nigeria Universities • To involve other supporting institutions and donors in these activities. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

15. CONCLUSION • CEON firmly believes that the operationalization of this advocacy roadmap with the involvement of CPC and other key national stakeholders, would not only lead to the enactment of a ‘need-based’ competition law in the Nigeria but also provide the enabling environment for the effective enforcement of the competition regime • CEON is therefore soliciting for continue funding /support from donor agencies (DFID, IDRC, Govt of Sweden) and other institutions /donors like ECOWAS Secretariat to sustain future activities of competition reforms in Nigeria to the benefit of economic growth, development and welfare of vulnerable consumers in Nigeria. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

16. APPRECIATION • To: DONORS AGENCIES - DFID - IDRC - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden For funding support to 7Up4 project (and still count on the donor agencies for their continue funding of future activities on this project) • TO: CUTS For opportunity given CEON as Nigeria Country Partner for this project. Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON

17. THANK YOU ADEDEJI, Babatunde AbiodunCoordinator-General Consumers Empowerment Organisation of Nigeria (CEON) Email: adedejia67@yahoo.com; ceon_camon@yahoo.com; info@ceon-camon.orgTel Mob: +234-7030-330-199 ;   +234-8077-576-604 www.ceon-camon.org Output, Outome and Impact of 7Up4 Project activities in Nigeria by CEON