Key Research Findings State of Competition Issues in Nigeria Adedeji B Abiodun CEON, Nigeria NRG-II Meeting, Abuja, 11 th Jan 2010

Progress with the National Competition Legislation  Government yet to adopt a competition law  Perceived lack of consensus between the different government deptts. and ‘turf issues’  Recent introduction of Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2009

Political Economy Constraints  Lack of political will – stemming from lack of understanding of benefits from an effective competition regime among politicians  Perceived opposition from big businesses towards adoption of the law

Competition and Sectoral Regulation – Interface Issues  Issue not properly addressed in the draft Bill 2009  Need for the Act, when it comes in to articulate need for cooperation/consultations  Sector regulators are mandated to promote competition in the sectoral markets

Analysis of Stakeholder Perception  Low level of awareness among government and business segments about competition law  Strong lobbies/vested interests and corruption seen as impeding factors  Frequent reporting of anti- competitive practices in media

Competition in Agriculture Sector  Farmers’ reliance on old stocks of crop seeds/stocks due to high prices affect productivity  Lack of competition in seeds and fertiliser markets – reason for high input costs  Need for market-based interventions to improve productivity (National Food Security Programme 2008)

Thank You for your attention!