By: Victor Ofuonye
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Saturday, November 30, 2024, organized the 8th edition of its consumer parliament at a ceremony held at its Head offices along Kairaba Avenue.
Speaking at the event, Madam Jamilatou Saidy Leigh, Director of Consumer Affairs at PURA, in her welcome remarks, noted the Consumer Parliament has become a vital platform where regulators, service providers, and consumers come together to address key issues and priorities in their industries. The forum she maintains serves as an invaluable platform, enabling consumers to share their experiences and concerns directly with those responsible for delivering essential services.
“The purpose of the consumer parliament is to promote an informed and engaged consumer base, which is essential for a thriving and fair regulatory sector because consumers play a central role in shaping the services and standards we work to uphold. Ensuring that they are informed, empowered, and equipped to make the best decisions regarding the services that they consume is therefore critical,” said Madam Saidy Leigh.
For his part, Mr. Alieu M. Ngum, the Board Chairman of PURA stated the theme of this year’s Consumer Parliament, ‘Building Resilient Youth, Ensuring Fair Utility Services and Combat Cyber Bullying’ is a carefully chosen topical issue aimed at furthering discussions on how service providers can improve on the entire service delivery system within the view of the evolving digital landscape, including the appearance of artificial intelligence (AI).
Chairman Ngum reiterated his organization’s commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to develop a clear road map to address consumer issues in the regulated sectors, particularly those affecting young people.
Being constantly aware of the vulnerability of young people as both victims and perpetrators of internet misuse, PURA, he says is dedicated to implementing appropriate regulatory measures and educating young people on responsible digital usage and other regulated utilities.
“ We must empower young people to raise their voices and concerns on other consumer protection issues. I urge all young people present here to utilize this opportunity not only to voice their concerns regarding service providers but also to offer constructive suggestions that will assist PURA and operators in delivering youth-friendly regulatory measures and policies to ensure their safety,” said Chairman Alieu Ngum.