Africa: Consumer Protection

The Central Bank of Nigeria has released draft guidelines establishing ring-fencing requirements for closely linked entities operating within the Nigerian financial system. These proposed regulations aim to create clear legal, operational, and financial boundaries between affiliated entities to prevent contagion risks and regulatory arbitrage.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in exercise of its functions under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the Act), has published the Draft Business Rules for the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licence in the Nigerian Communications sector. These Business Rules clarify key aspects of MVNO operations, including onboarding, integration, interconnection, numbering, SIM management, revenue sharing, quality of service, consumer obligations, eSIM onboarding, and the respective rights and limitations of each licensee.

ENSafrica's latest legal bulletin examines critical regulatory shifts across Africa, from South Africa's mandatory monthly opt-out cleansing under amended CPA rules to Rwanda's new VAT framework for cross-border digital services. The collection addresses constitutional interpretation in Ghana, AI policy governance failures, merger threshold updates, and emerging challenges in crypto regulation and prediction markets.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has resolved a critical jurisdictional question affecting credit providers nationwide by clarifying whether the High Court retains authority to adjudicate shortfall claims after repossession and sale of goods under credit agreements.

The rapid expansion of digital lending platforms in Nigeria has significantly improved access to short-term consumer credit.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (the "FCCPC") has issued a public notice stipulating 5 January 2026 as the deadline for all digital lending operators...

The CBN's recent circular introducing market structure restrictions within the payments ecosystem may represent one of the most significant regulatory interventions in the sector in recent years. While the circular also introduces data localisation and ultimate beneficial ownership disclosure requirements, among its most consequential features are the provisions restricting the extent to which a participant with significant market share in consumer issuing activities.

The European Commission has responded to the citizens' 'Stop Destroying Videogames' initiative, which garnered significant public support calling for mandatory requirements to preserve access to video games after their commercial lifecycle ends.

Nigeria's consumer protection landscape has undergone a fundamental transformation with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, granting the FCCPC unprecedented investigative and enforcement powers.

South Africa's Information Regulator has issued an enforcement notice against Central Johannesburg TVET College for multiple violations of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), including failure to register...

There is a kind of low-key disillusionment that has crept into the legal profession. It’s not one big moment, it’s a build-up. You feel it in courtrooms where decisions don’t always seem purely reasoned...

The policy model – which is supported by the WIPO, the Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) and the National Copyright and Related Rights Office (ONDA)...