Consumer in digital age takes centre stage at Brand Journalists’ WCRD 2017 symposium

The Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria (BJAN) has announced March 15, 2017, as part of activities to mark 2017 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) with theme, ‘Building a digital world consumers can trust’.

The 2017 consumer symposium is scheduled to take place at White House Hotels, Ikeja GRA, Lagos state, Nigeria is expected to have large number of crème de la crème of the Nigerian marketing industry, journalists and members of the public as participants.

Expected to lead the discussion at the seminar is Mr. David Arome Okeme, President, Advertiser Association of Nigeria as well as the Chief Marketing Officer of System specs, owners of Remita.

To join Okeme in discussing his paper are Oluwasoromidayo George, Manager, Corporate Communications, Unilever Nigeria PLC, Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries PLC, Adekunle Ayeni, GMD, BHM Group, Kayode Olagesin, CEO, Towncriers, Kayode Oluwasana, President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Joshua Nggada, Lagos Head, Consumer Protection Council.

Moderating the session is Sola Salako, president, Consumer Advocacy Forum of Nigeria (CAFON). She is renowned consumer advocate.

Ms. Sola Salako

According to a statement signed by BJAN Chairman, Goddie Ofose, this year symposium is the fifth in the series and the association’s decision to join the rest of the world in celebrating consumers is to deepen discussions on issues affecting consumers with particular focus on the plight of consumers in Nigeria.

In line with the global theme for the 2017 WCRD, the seminar will seek to highlight the challenges consumers face in the present digital age.

In the height of internet penetration, well over 3 billion or 40% of the world’s population is online now, compared with just 1% in 1995, with all projections suggesting this number will continue to rise.

Although this still leaves many consumers who are struggling to access these technologies, the rapid growth of the internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies has created opportunities and challenges for millions of consumers around the world.

Whilst consumers undoubtedly benefit from the increased access, choice and convenience that these technologies deliver, questions remain about how to improve the quality of services, which online services consumers can trust, what happens to the data they share online and what consumers’ rights are in relation to digital products.

Since 1983, the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) has been an awareness day, which is observed on March 15, every year.

The day was set to mark the definition of consumer rights, as outlined by former US President John F. Kennedy.

He was the first world leader to set out a vision of consumer rights and he also recognized the importance of consumers as a group. Kennedy gave the American consumer four basic rights: the right to safety, to choose, to information and to be heard.

The WCRD was first celebrated in 1983 and became an important annual occasion for mobilizing citizen action and solidarity within the international consumer movement.

The day is an opportunity for promoting the basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected and protesting about the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them.

The aim of WRCD is to celebrate solidarity within the international consumer rights movement.

The day is organized by Consumers International (CI), which is the world federation of consumer groups that serves as the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers and was founded in 1960.

Currently, it has over 220 member organizations in 115 countries around the world.