Bennett Oghifo
For many Nigerians, shopping for a brand-new car represents a significant monetary dedication, typically involving years of financial savings, financial institution loans or rigorously deliberate investments. Yet, the joy of driving a brand new automobile dwelling can shortly flip into frustration when the car develops a fault and the seller immediately turns into tough to achieve.
This rising disconnect between the guarantees made on the level of sale and the help clients obtain afterwards has introduced the difficulty of after-sales service into sharper focus in Nigeria’s automotive business.
Consumer rights advocate, Akonte Ekine, is aware of this expertise firsthand. He recalled buying a brand-new car by way of a financial institution just for it to develop an issue barely two weeks after supply. His makes an attempt to acquire help from the vendor and insurance coverage firm, he mentioned, yielded little response.
“I once spent my good money to buy a brand-new car through a bank and just two weeks after, the car developed a problem. I complained to the seller and to my insurance but they didn’t even show interest in the situation,” Ekine informed BusinessDay.
His expertise raises an vital query for car producers, distributors and sellers: What occurs to the shopper after the cash has modified palms?
For Ekine, the reply ought to be simple. Businesses should ship the standard of service promised to clients, whatever the market through which they function.
“The consumer is the same everywhere. What he or she wants is simple quality service based on the brand promise,” he mentioned.
The concern goes past particular person experiences. In Nigeria, the place car possession entails appreciable monetary sacrifice, entry to real spare components, certified technicians, guarantee providers and well timed repairs can considerably affect the general possession expertise.
Importantly, shoppers should not with out authorized safety.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Tunji Bello, has bolstered this place, insisting that companies can’t evade their statutory obligations by way of restrictive firm insurance policies.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the FCCPC and Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) in Lagos on July 29, 2026, Bello mentioned shoppers had been entitled to acceptable treatments when items failed to fulfill legally required requirements.
“They must also know that where the law gives them the right to a refund, replacement, or repair, that right will be respected,” he acknowledged.
He additional emphasised that: “Every transaction also carries an implied warranty that goods supplied will be of acceptable quality and fit for the purpose for which they were purchased.”
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 offers for shoppers’ entitlement to items of acceptable high quality, whereas Section 132 establishes an implied guarantee of high quality and offers treatments for qualifying faulty merchandise.
For the automotive business, this could function greater than a regulatory reminder. It is a name to rethink buyer relationships and recognise {that a} car buy is the start, not the top, of a enterprise relationship.
Automobile manufacturers that spend money on responsive buyer care, clear guarantee preparations, accessible service centres and dependable spare-parts networks stand a greater likelihood of incomes client confidence and securing repeat patronage.
Ultimately, the actual take a look at of an car model isn’t merely how enticing its autos look within the showroom or how aggressively they’re marketed. It is how the corporate treats clients when the joy of a brand new buy offers technique to the realities of car possession.
For Nigerian consumers, the lesson is equally vital: earlier than accumulating the keys, ask what occurs when one thing goes unsuitable. car ought to include the peace of mind that the individuals who bought it is not going to disappear when their clients want them most.
