By Enam Obiosio
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has called on judges to strengthen their adjudication capacity in emerging legal areas including financial technology, digital markets and data exploitation.
Kekere-Ekun made the call at the opening of the Strategic Judicial Training on Competition and Consumer Protection Law held at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja. The programme was jointly organised by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the NJI.
Kekere-Ekun said that the increasing complexity of digital markets requires judicial officers to deepen their understanding of evolving legal and technological issues.
“I am therefore pleased to observe that the programme for this training includes sessions addressing Digital Markets, Data Exploitation, and Fintech,” Kekere-Ekun said.
Tunji Bello, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, emphasised that courts play a central role in shaping Nigeria’s competition jurisprudence as the implementation of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 evolves.
“Nigeria operates a market-based economic system in which prices are largely determined by market forces,” Bello said.
DECISION HIGHLIGHT
The judiciary is being repositioned to handle disputes arising from fintech innovation, digital commerce and algorithm-driven markets, areas that increasingly intersect with competition law and consumer protection regulations.
The training signals a recognition that judicial competence must evolve alongside technological transformation within Nigeria’s digital economy.
DECISION MEMO
The call by the Chief Justice of Nigeria for judicial capacity expansion reflects a structural shift in the type of disputes entering Nigeria’s courts.
Digital financial platforms, artificial intelligence systems and algorithm-driven consumer services are increasingly reshaping market structures, creating legal questions that traditional judicial frameworks were not designed to address.
Kekere-Ekun noted that the FCCPC occupies a central position within Nigeria’s regulatory architecture, particularly in enforcing competition law and protecting consumers from exploitative practices across sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and energy.
According to Kekere-Ekun, the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and digital platforms is transforming markets while simultaneously introducing complex risks.
These risks include data exploitation, algorithmic manipulation of consumer behaviour, privacy violations and the dissemination of misleading information through digital channels.
Kekere-Ekun pointed to regulatory responses already underway, including the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON) 2025, which led to the development of a National Digital Traceability Portal designed to strengthen oversight of digital lending platforms.
Bello emphasised that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 established Nigeria’s first comprehensive framework for regulating anti-competitive conduct, mergers and acquisitions oversight and consumer protection enforcement.
As the regulatory system matures, Bello said the judiciary will play a critical role in interpreting the law and shaping predictable competition jurisprudence.
Bello noted that technological innovation, cross-border digital commerce and complex corporate structures are raising new legal questions relating to market dominance, restrictive agreements and unfair trade practices.
The training programme therefore represents an attempt to strengthen institutional coordination between regulators and the judiciary.
The initiative also reflects the broader expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy. Financial technology platforms, mobile banking applications and digital payment systems are increasingly redefining consumer financial behaviour across the country.
Data from the FinTech Association of Nigeria indicates that cashless transactions across fintech platforms exceeded N126 trillion in early 2023, highlighting the scale of digital financial activity now requiring regulatory and judicial oversight.
The judiciary’s ability to interpret competition law and digital market regulations will therefore become increasingly central to maintaining fair market structures and protecting consumers.
DATA BOX
Training Programme: Strategic Judicial Training on Competition and Consumer Protection Law
Venue: National Judicial Institute, Abuja
Legal Framework: Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018
Digital Lending Regulation: DEON 2025
Digital Oversight Tool: National Digital Traceability Portal
Fintech Cashless Transactions (2023): Over N126 trillion
Key Sectors Affected:
Financial services
Telecommunications
Energy
Healthcare
Transportation
WHO WINS / WHO LOSES
Winners
Consumers benefit from stronger judicial oversight of digital markets and consumer protection disputes.
Regulatory agencies gain improved legal clarity as courts develop more specialised competition jurisprudence.
Fintech firms operating within regulatory frameworks may benefit from clearer judicial interpretation of digital market rules.
Losers
Unregulated digital lending platforms and exploitative digital service providers may face greater legal scrutiny.
Firms relying on opaque data practices or anti-competitive behaviour could encounter stronger regulatory enforcement.
POLICY SIGNALS
The initiative signals a policy shift toward judicial modernisation in response to digital economic transformation.
It also reflects growing institutional coordination between regulators and courts in managing complex digital market disputes.
The training suggests that competition law and consumer protection enforcement will increasingly focus on technology-driven markets.
INVESTOR SIGNAL
For investors, the development indicates that Nigeria is gradually strengthening the legal infrastructure governing digital markets.
Clearer judicial interpretation of competition law could improve regulatory certainty for fintech firms, digital platforms and technology-driven businesses.
However, stronger enforcement frameworks may also increase compliance obligations.
RISK RADAR
Three structural risks remain prominent.
First is judicial capacity risk, as courts adapt to technically complex cases involving digital platforms and algorithmic systems.
Second is regulatory overlap risk, where multiple agencies regulate overlapping aspects of the digital economy.
Third is enforcement lag risk, as technological innovation continues to evolve faster than regulatory and judicial frameworks.
The judicial training initiative ultimately signals recognition that the sustainability of Nigeria’s digital economy will depend not only on innovation but also on the legal institutions capable of regulating increasingly complex digital markets.
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