News
e-Commerce Firms Must Look Beyond e-Transaction Bill- Supermart.ng
Following the rise in the electronic commercial activities in Nigeria and its contributions to the growth of the economy, stakeholders have long been agitating for policies and regulatory frameworks that can aid orderly conduct of electronic transactions in a manner that is fair especially to the customers.
It was against this background that the Electronic Transaction Bill was presented to the last National Assembly.
The bill is currently raising concerns among e-commerce businesses who anxiously await its passage into an Act.
However, reacting to this development, Oluwatayo Alofun, media officer of Supermart.ng, has said that while the bill is a welcome development that will be instrumental in bringing order to e-commerce in Nigeria, there is need for e-commerce firms to look beyond seeing regulations as the compelling factor for rendering quality services to consumers.
Citing the example of Supermart.ng, he said, “at Supermart.ng, “We already promised our customers to deliver groceries to them in as early as three hours of order.
“We understand that a customer’s time is very precious to him so we make it a goal to deliver on that promise against any logistics challenge.
“This has not being easy but we owe it to make life easier for households in Lagos by saving them three to six hours through our delivery system”.
The Electronic Transaction Bill is expected to regulate the e-commerce sector and protect consumers.
To this end, some of the key issues highlighted in the bill are non-disclosure of full information on products and services, deceptive advertisement, improper description of products, delivery of defective products, poor informal dispute settlement procedures, double payments and poor customer service.
Speaking on highlights of the bill, Alofun said “when you look at the key issues highlighted in the bill, they all go down to conscious efforts on our part as e-commerce business operators to put our customers interest first in our dealing, this is what Supermart.ng has been doing since inception-putting customers first. Take customer service as an instance, when we employ delivery men, they are professionally trained to be able to talk to customers, they are equipped with smart phones to be able to provide up to date information to customers and as well as update the Supermart.ng system. We leave nothing to chance in our customer service process which makes it almost impossible for us to fail on our promises”
Alofun however expressed hope in the possibility of the Bill to improve the state of e-commerce business in Nigeria and to boost consumer’s confidence in the electronic transaction system. He therefore urges the executive arm of the government to consider the Bill for assent into an Act.
Oracle Sparks CRM Evolution with New Cloud Solutions
By peter ugwu
Oracle has unveiled significant new functionality within Oracle Service Cloud and Oracle Social Cloud that helps organizations deliver better customer experience and drive more informed business decisions.
The new social customer service capabilities enable brands to increase social engagement and business insights via a new community self-service solution, enhanced social service and incident routing, and extended social listening and analytics capabilities to private data sources.
Today more than one in three customers prefer to contact brands through social channels rather than by phone or email (Nielsen), and the distinction between social and traditional channels is eroding.
To deliver the best possible customer experience across this expanding range of traditional and digital channels, customer care organizations need to provide a positive and unified experience where and when customers want, whether they are on Twitter, Facebook, customer communities or other social networks.
Through a unified and modern customer experience across channels, organizations establish a competitive advantage.
The latest release of Oracle Service Cloud includes Community Self-Service, a new approach to web self service that brings community functionality directly into the core multi-channel web experience.
Oracle Service Cloud now enables organizations to deliver a seamless experience between web service and community interactions, leveraging the power of customer knowledge to improve service operations.
This helps organizations streamline the customer journey and lets customers quickly find an answer, while also driving efficiencies by reducing the overall requests to the contact center.
Gartner’s research indicates that investment in Peer-to-Peer Communities drives support costs down and boosts profits.
In fact, in a December 2014 research note, nine CRM Projects to Do Right Now for Customer Service, “Gartner clients who are successful in this space are still seeing on average a 20% reduction in the creation of support tickets following the introduction of peer-to-peer communities,” wrote, Michael Maoz, vice president, Distinguished Analyst, Gartner, “Clients are seeing other business benefits as well. By enabling community-based support, clients have been able to recognize new sales opportunities and increase existing customer satisfaction, resulting in increased revenue in several of these cases.”
Oracle is also introducing new workflow and automation capabilities between Oracle Social Cloud and Oracle Service Cloud that empower organizations to leverage the power of social insights and engagements.
Business users can now attach contextual attributes and notes generated from posts or incidents identified by Oracle Social Cloud directly to the Oracle Service Cloud. By providing more customer information and context, organizations can improve service quality, drive efficiencies and improve resolution time as social posts are shared with the appropriate agents quickly.
The improved connectivity between Oracle Social Cloud and Oracle Service Cloud includes extended social listening and analytics to enterprise private-data sources such as the new Community Self-Service capability, survey data, chat and call logs.
Organizations can now listen and analyze unstructured data and gain insights with terms, themes, sentiment and customer metrics, and can view private and public data side by side in the Oracle Social Cloud Relationship Management dashboard.
“In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, understanding the voice of the customer is essential to providing exceptional experiences, whether on public social networks, across communities, or within high-touch contact centers,” said David Vap, group vice president, product development, Oracle. “The updates to the Oracle Service Cloud and Oracle Social Cloud help businesses listen, identify and track social conversations, enabling them to quickly and efficiently respond to customers looking for answers, which helps foster a loyal group of brand ambassadors.”
The latest enhancements to Oracle Social Cloud and Oracle Service Cloud extend Oracle’s commitment to help organizations leverage social channels to enhance the customer experience and build on the recent introduction of Oracle’s Twitter-enriched social customer service solution.
For more information, attend Stephen Fioretti’s session Accelerating Success with Modern Service in the Cloud at 3:10 p.m. eastern in A204 on Tuesday, September 18 at CRM Evolution in New York and visit Booth 300.
Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will automatically serve as the Tax Identification Number (Tax ID) for all Nigerian citizens, while registered businesses will use their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration numbers.
FIRS
The disclosure was made during a public awareness campaign on the new tax laws posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
According to the Service, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), which comes into force in January 2026, mandates the use of Tax IDs for certain financial and commercial transactions, including bank account ownership.
FIRS explained that the measure is part of efforts to unify all previously issued Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) by both the federal and state revenue services into a single identifier.
“For individuals, your NIN automatically serves as your Tax ID, while for registered companies, your CAC RC number is used. You do not need a physical card; the Tax ID is a unique number linked directly to your identity,” the Service stated.
The agency noted that the requirement has been in place since the Finance Act of 2019 but has now been strengthened under the NTAA to ensure compliance and ease of administration.
Officials emphasized that the reform would simplify tax processes, reduce duplication, and improve transparency in Nigeria’s tax system.
The Service added that the integration of NIN and CAC numbers into the tax framework would also enhance data accuracy, curb tax evasion, and streamline the monitoring of taxable activities across the country.
Tax experts have described the development as a significant step toward modernizing Nigeria’s revenue administration, noting that it aligns with global best practices where national identity systems are linked to tax compliance.
The FIRS urged Nigerians to ensure that their NINs and CAC registration details are up-to-date, stressing that the identifiers would be required for transactions such as property purchases, contract awards, and access to certain financial services once the NTAA takes effect
The United States will begin a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerians from January 1, 2026, following a new presidential proclamation aimed at strengthening border and national security.
The US Mission in Nigeria announced on Monday that the restriction will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 10998, titled ‘Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.’
According to the mission, Nigeria is one of 19 countries affected by the measure.
Others listed are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The proclamation provides for a partial suspension of visa issuance covering nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas.
It also applies to immigrant visas, though with limited exceptions.
The statement read in part, “Effective January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 on “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” the Department of State is partially suspending visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries – Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas with limited exceptions.”
US officials clarified that the policy does not apply to all travellers. Exemptions include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals applying with passports from countries not affected by the suspension, and Special Immigrant Visas for eligible US government employees.
Other exempted categories include lawful permanent residents of the United States and participants in certain major international sporting events.
The US government emphasised that the proclamation applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid US visa as of January 1, 2026.
“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued before January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation,” the statement added.
Visa applicants from affected countries may continue to submit applications and attend interviews. However, the US Mission noted that such applicants “may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the US” under the new rules.
The announcement comes amid a series of recent US policy decisions that have raised concerns among Nigerians seeking to travel, study or migrate to the country.
In October, the United States added Nigeria back to its list of countries accused of violating religious freedom, citing persistent insecurity and attacks on Christian communities. This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised US travel ban list that imposed partial entry restrictions on Nigerians.
The US has also tightened immigration and visa policies affecting Nigerians. Earlier this year, the validity of most non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians was reduced to single-entry visas with a three-month duration.
The pre-action notice was signed by Emmanuel Okpara, Esq., Litigation and Compliance Director, and Mus’ab Awwal Mu’az, Esq., secretary of the Association’s Steering Committee.
The dispute stemmed from a consent judgment delivered on November 3, 2025, by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CC/355/2025 between Meta Platforms, Inc. and the NDPC.
Following investigations conducted under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023, the NDPC had issued a Final Order against Meta Platforms, Inc., finding “widespread violations of the data protection and privacy rights of approximately 61 million Nigerians,” and imposing a remedial fine of USD 32,800,000.
The pre-action notice was signed by Emmanuel Okpara, Esq., Litigation and Compliance Director, and Mus’ab Awwal Mu’az, Esq., Secretary of the Association’s Steering Committee.
The dispute stemmed from a consent judgment delivered on November 3, 2025, by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CC/355/2025 between Meta Platforms, Inc. and the NDPC.
Following investigations conducted under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023, the NDPC had issued a Final Order against Meta Platforms, Inc., finding “widespread violations of the data protection and privacy rights of approximately 61 million Nigerians,” and imposing a remedial fine of USD 32,800,000.
The NDPC investigation stemmed from a petition filed at the commission on August 14, 2023, against Meta Platforms Inc. by the convener of Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative, Ozoemena Nwogbo, regarding violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
After its investigation, NDPC found Meta Platforms Inc. wanting and, on February 18, 2025, issued nine Final Orders against Meta Platforms Inc.
NDPC’s Order
The NDPC’s order nine reads, “Meta shall pay the naira equivalent of 32,800,000 USD (Thirty-two million, eight-hundred thousand United States Dollars) as a remedial fee. The naira equivalent shall be at the rate determined by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The details of the account for payment of the remedial fee are as follows: Account Name: Nigeria Data Protection Commission Fund Account. Account Number: 0020331265048 (300131267). Use RTGS for payment.”
The NDPC added, “Note that Meta has a right to seek a judicial review of this decision. The Commission will closely monitor Meta’s remediation process and its impact on data subjects for upwards of six months.”
However, the Final Order was subsequently set aside through Terms of Settlement, which were adopted by the court as a consent judgment on November 3, 2025, following a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025, filed by Meta Platforms Inc. against the NDPC.
Part of the Terms of Settlement entered between NDPC and Meta Platforms Inc. reads, “The applicant (Meta Platforms Inc.) and the respondent (NDPC) have come to a mutual settlement agreement that resolves the dispute underlying the applicant’s originating Summons.
“Pursuant to this agreement: (I) the applicant has agreed to provide specific remedial consideration to the respondent in support of protecting the rights of data subjects in Nigeria; and (II) the respondent has inter alia agreed to set aside and waive any rights to enforce or take steps to enforce the Final Orders against the applicant.”
The settlement terms specifically read, “In the light of the foregoing: The applicant wholly and completely terminates, abandons, withdraws, and discontinues the Originating Summons as well as any and all claims against the respondent connected to or arising from the matters or the subject matter thereof, except as the parties have otherwise agreed.
“The respondent: (I) sets aside the Final Orders against Meta; and (II) save and except as the parties have otherwise agreed, fully and firmly releases and discharges Meta from any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, contracts, obligations, suits, debts, costs, liabilities, which the respondent ever had, may now have, or May hereafter claim to have against Meta in respect of the matters.”
Association Alleges Illegality In Settlement
But the Data Privacy Lawyers Association contended that the consent judgment was entered into unlawfully, arguing that it was done without lawful statutory authority, in violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and in derogation of the constitutional right to privacy guaranteed under Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The Association further said the action was taken “to the grave prejudice of millions of affected Nigerians and the public interest, as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
In the notice, the Association warned that unless the issues raised are urgently addressed within the statutory notice period, it would approach the Federal High Court to seek multiple reliefs.
These include an order setting aside, vacating, and nullifying the consent judgment on grounds of fraud, collusion, material non-disclosure, lack of statutory authority, and violation of the NDPA, 2023.
It is also seeking a declaration that the consent judgment is “null, void, unconstitutional, and of no legal effect,” as well as a declaration that the NDPC lacks statutory authority to waive, compro
Other reliefs sought include an order restoring and reviving the Final Order against Meta Platforms, including the $32.8 million fine, and an order restraining any further reliance on or enforcement of the consent judgment.
The Association also asked the court for other orders the Court may deem fit in the interest of justice, public accountability, and the protection of constitutional rights.
In the interest of transparency and accountability, the Association urged the NDPC to provide a written explanation of the legal basis for entering into the Terms of Settlement, clarify the statutory authority relied upon to waive the remedial fine and set aside the Final Order, and take steps to remedy the issues raised.
The letter, the Association said, constitutes the requisite pre-action notice under applicable law.
It warned that unless the concerns are satisfactorily addressed within 30 days of receipt of the notice, it will proceed to institute legal proceedings without further recourse.
mise, or extinguish liabilities, sanctions, or remedial fines arising from established violations of the Act.
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