By Ismail Abdulaziz,
(News Agency of Nigeria (NAN))
In every business school, the first lesson is simple: “The customer is king.”
This stance is premised on the simple truths that he pays the bills, sustains the business and decides, by his patronage or boycott, whether a company lives or dies.
But, with dropped calls and unexplained data depletion, epileptic power supply and estimated billing, long queues in hospitals and strikes in public schools, among other unpleasant experiences, it’s difficult to convince the Nigerian consumer that he is the king.
And, with such a litany of disappointments and poor services as his lot, analysts say that the Nigerian customer’s experience has become a story of endurance rather than satisfaction.
“The customer is king because he is the reason the business exists. Without him, there is no salary, no profit, no company,” Bala Ndakolo, a development economist in Warri, Delta State, notes.
“He qualifies for that title because he pays, he chooses and can walk away. In a proper market, that power forces businesses to be accountable.
“In my shop, if I treat one customer badly, I lose 10 others through word of mouth.
“The customer is not just a buyer, he is my advertiser and my judge. Any business that forgets that will die,” Mr Chinedu Eze, a Lagos businessman, once said.
Experts say the kingship of a customer comes with four rights: the right to value for money, the right to safety, the right to information and the right to redress when wronged.
A former head of the Federal Competition Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), Mr Babatunde Irukera, was once quoted as saying that a market without consumer protection is a jungle.
“The king must have laws that protect his crown,” he pointed out.
But, if you ask the Nigerian customer if he feels treated like a king, the likely response one can get is a NO
Mrs Funke Tony, a trader in Abuja’s Wuse Market, is one such customer.
“I buy data, it finishes in one day. I complain, they tell me to restart my phone.
‘’I pay for light; we don’t see light. I am not a king; I am a prisoner of these companies. Where else can I go?”
Tony’s response reflects a structural problem: monopoly and limited choice.
In many areas, a resident has only one Distribution Company (DisCo) for electricity; he has limited internet providers with reliable coverage, and one public hospital within reach.
But, amidst the complaints, some experts argue that pockets of royalty exist, citing banking apps, e-commerce, and ride-hailing, where competition has forced companies to improve customer care, offer refunds and respond quickly on social media.
“Where there is competition, the Nigerian customer is treated like a king. Where there is monopoly, he is treated like a burden. The difference is competition,” Ndakolo also says.
“In Nigeria, we have a culture of ‘manage it.’ Service providers know customers will manage, so they don’t improve. In other countries, customers demand and get. Here, we apologise for complaining.”
That culture, he says, must change if the customer is to reclaim his throne.
In telecommunications, for instance, Nigeria has more than 220 million active lines, one of Africa’s largest telecom markets.
The sector has driven financial inclusion, entertainment and remote work. Yet, complaints persist over poor network quality, unsolicited messages and rapid data depletion.
“We are not saying the telecoms have not invested. They have. But quality has not kept pace with demand, especially in rural areas and during peak hours,” Mr Kayode Adetona, a mobile phone repairer in GSM Village in Abuja, noted recently.
In the electricity supply sector, the complaints are in torrents.
In spite of privatisation of electricity sector in 2013, power supply remains erratic. Nigeria generates far less than it needs for its population of more than 220 million.
Many Nigerians rely on generators and solar inverters, raising the cost of living and doing business. Estimated billing, though officially banned for metered customers, remains a major grievance.
“I pay N20,000 monthly for estimated billing, but I use only a small fan and a fridge. It is exploitation,” Musa Ibrahim, a resident of Kubwa, Abuja told newsmen recently.
A DisCo official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, defended the sector.
“We are also victims of gas shortages, vandalism and non-payment. We want to meter everyone, but funding and energy theft are huge challenges,” he fumed.
In the education sector, public schools suffer from overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated infrastructure, and frequent strikes by teachers and lecturers.
Private schools fill the gap at costs many families cannot afford.
“Our public schools are producing certificates, not competence, because teachers are demoralised and facilities are poor,” Mrs Saadatu Aliyu, a retired teacher in Niger says.
“A parent who pays school fees expects a teacher in class. When ASUU goes on strike for months, who protects the student?”, she asks, rhetorically.
Public hospitals also face shortages of doctors, drugs, and equipment. Patients often wait for hours, buy drugs outside, and pay out-of-pocket. Private hospitals offer better service, but are expensive.
A nurse at a general hospital in Ibadan, who pleaded anonymity, recently reacted to the rash of complaints.
“We want to treat people well, but when one nurse is attending to 40 patients, how can the patient feel like a king?”
Dr Manir Abdul, a medical doctor in Birmingham, has opined that the problem is systemic.
“The health sector is underfunded. Until government treats health as investment, patients will continue to suffer,” he said.
Nigerians have developed a mixture of resilience, humour, anger over the poor services. Some have simply adapted.
Many have resorted to self-help: buying generators, digging boreholes, getting solar panels, engaging private teachers and using private health facilities.
This has created what economists call the “do-it-yourself economy.”
Others take to social media to vent their grievances. X, Facebook and WhatsApp have become courts of public opinion where customers tag regulators and companies to demand redress.
“Nigerians no longer suffer in silence. One viral video can force a company to act faster than a petition,” Ms Blessing Audu, a social media influencer, said recently.
She cited cases where videos of poor airline service or hospital neglect led to immediate apologies and refunds.
“Humour is also a coping mechanism. Nigerians turn poor service into memes and skits. They laugh, but behind the laughter is pain,” she further noted.
To address these concerns, the Federal Government has created several agencies to protect consumers, but enforcement remains the challenge.
The FCCPC, which is the apex consumer protection body, has intervened in cases involving airlines, banks, and digital money lenders, imposing fines and ordering refunds.
“Our mandate is clear: ensure markets work for consumers. We will not hesitate to sanction companies that abuse consumers,” an official told curious newsmen recently.
On its part, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a toll-free line – 622, for unresolved telecom complaints and sanctioned operators for poor quality of service.
“We monitor quality of service and we sanction operators who fail to meet Key Performance Indicators. The consumer must get value for what he pays for,” an NCC official explained.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has also pushed for mass metering through the National Mass Metering Programme and fined DisCos for overbilling and failure to cap estimated bills.
“We are committed to ensuring customers only pay for what they consume. Metering is the key to that,” the NERC said in a statement.
But, for stakeholders, the implementation of regulations and laws has remained weak.
“Laws are not the problem. Nigeria has good laws. The problem is enforcement and political will. Agencies are underfunded and sometimes compromised.
“Regulators must be more visible at the grassroots. Many Nigerians don’t know where to complain to. Some don’t even know that they have a right to complain,” Ndakolo observes.
Experts say that making the customer a king again will require more than slogans.
They say that it will require competition, investment in infrastructure, transparent operations, prompt redress and empowered regulators.(NANFeatures)
Source: News Agency of Nigeria
