Yemisi Izuora
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON is now determined to go after importers of fake products to deal with issue of penetration of such items in the market.
The decision is coming as perpetrators of the act have become unrepentant.
At the weekend the agency destroyed substandard products valued over N500 million at Epe dump site in Lagos state.
The products, included handset, diaper, shaving sticks, cables, etc with fake NIS aproval label, which were seized across the country in about five containers.
The Director General, SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, said those products failed all the Standards/Quality test carried out on them.
He said the agency would not rest until the country is free of fake products, adding that producers of those confiscated products went far to inscribe SON product approval logo on those products in order to deceive the consumers, while some of the products, especially the cable, were even labelled Nigerian wire and Cable as Nigerian wire and cable have been adjudged the best internationally.
He disclosed that those products were smuggled into the country through illegal borders from unknown destinations.
Aboloma said apart from affecting the well-being/health of the unsuspected consumers of those products, they also ruin the economy of the country as the local manufacturers went into unnecessary competition with them.
The DG informed that the war against substandard products is necessary to make the effort of the government on local production development and economic diversification fruitful.
He added that the fake products must be flushed out the economy as the nation is trying to move from mon-product to multi-products economy, saying this would pave way for the local production to thrive.
He therefore called on the general public especially the consumers to join in the war against fake products, urging them to report to the agency any time they come across fake product in Nigerian markets.
He reiterated that those involved in the production of such goods would arrested, tried in the court of law and jailed if found guilty.
Meanwhile, Aboloma called for more collaboration among agencies at borders to help fight against importation and smuggling of substandard goods into the country.
Aboloma made the call while addressing other government agencies including the NCS, NAFDAC, NDLEA, and others at both Idiroko and Seme borders.
He noted that the synergy would safeguard the nation’s economy as well as the wellbeing of the people.
He reminded the agencies that they were all working for the government and Nigerians by helping the economy to grow through flushing out fake and substandard products from the country.
While appreciating the NCS for collaborating with the SON and other agencies at the borders, the DG said the agencies needed to do away with inter-agency rivalry and work as a team to achieve the common goal of building the nation.
He charged them to be more dutiful as the economy of the country is now at its recucle stage, moving from one product to many products through diversification.
He said, “The goal and focus of all of us remain the same. We are all working for government and our aim is to protect economy and wellbeing of Nigerians. Our responsibility must be higher now, we must always checkmate whatever comes into Nigeria now. If we allow any substandard products into our country, they will ruin our economy without remedy.”