In line with its commitment to enriching lives as well as providing credible platforms to deepen consumer education, leading telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, recently partnered with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), to host the 2nd NIPR Lagos stakeholders’ conference, at the University of Lagos.
The conference, which had the theme “The Nigerian Consumer – Rights, Duties and Obligations,” focused on the critical role public relations and its practitioners play in protecting the rights of the Nigerian consumer.
The lead speaker, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, professor of Mass Communications, University of Lagos, noted that Public Relations should be used to maintain cordial and beneficial relationship between buyers and sellers, referring to PR as a tangible activity that will bring about visible changes in consumer behavior, education and protection.
According to Akinfeleye, effective PR should protect the interest of buyers, promote the rights of consumers, and evaluate the activities of both buyers and sellers.
“PR professionals should know that consumer education is paramount to consumer protection and the development of the country. Thus, tangible PR is a must in consumer public relations,” he said.
Also speaking at the conference, Airtel Nigeria’s Maurice Newa, chief commercial officer, who was represented by the company’s Head of Mass Market Segment, Oladipo Jolaosho, noted that the telco is committed to supporting reasoned discourse as well as promoting credible platforms that promote consumer education and protection.
According to him, consumer protection is fundamental in order to safeguard consumer right as well as prevent exploitation or infringing on the rights of customers.
He revealed that Airtel Nigeria develops bespoke products and services based on the needs of individuals, and this is usually accomplished by conducting focus group sessions to understand the telephone needs of people in order to provide the right products for the right segments.
Jolaosho went further to explain that Airtel’s products and services are targeted towards the mass market segment, youth segment and the high value segment.
“Our newly launched Smart connect caters to the mass market while Smart Trybe is targeted at students or Nigerian youths. On the other hand, the Airtel Premier Connect is targeted at the High Value segment”.
Other participants at the event admonished the Nigerian consumer to be assertive, saying that the era of consumer awareness is now, and so consumers should know their rights and demand for a redress when they are short-changed in the process of buying a product or receiving a service.
They also called on the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to help amplify consumer education in Nigeria and seek to give the Nigerian consumer rights in the marketplace as this will help bring change and development to the country.
The 2nd NIPR Lagos stakeholders’ conference was attended by several notable personalities including Barr. Joseph Okonmah, Chairman NIPR Lagos chapter, the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahmon Bello, represented by Prof. Duro Oni, Dr. Rotimi Oladele, President / Chairman Governing Council NIPR, Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, among others.