Ultimate magazine theme for WordPress.

SON seizes over N22.7bn substandard products in 1 year

The Standard
Organisation of Nigeria (SON), said it seized over N22.7 billion substandard
products both destroyed and awaiting destruction in the last one year.

Director-General/Chief
Executive Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Osita Aboloma, who was represented
by Director in DG’s Office, Muhammed Kabir, disclosed this at the 2018
SON/Maritime Stakeholders Awareness Forum with the theme: “Collaboration As A
Tool For Zero Substandard Imports,” held in Lagos, said that some of the
products seized included tyres; electric cables; LPG cylinders; lubricants;
communication cables; unfortified sugar, among others.
According
to him, the Nigerian economy and the lives of the citizens are also further
endangered due to the influx of substandard goods.
He
called for robust collaboration among stakeholders to tackle the menace of
substandard products, which put the lives and properties of Nigerians at risk,
adding that collaboration was the key to success since SON cannot achieve the
goal of zero importation of substandard products alone.
Aboloma
said: “I therefore implore you to join us to sensitize and educate all
importers and the public on the importance of quality goods and products as
well as the dangers associated with substandard and life-endangering products.
“The
works of standardisation, quality assurance as well as campaign against the
menace of substandard products remains a collaborative and partnership endeavour
among SON and its stakeholders. Suffice it to state that over 80 percent of
products that enter into Nigeria daily, monthly or yearly are via the nation’s
seaports and waterways.”
He
said it is therefore critical to collaborate with the Maritime Sector operators
in the quest for zero import of substandard and unwholesome products as well as
the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Policy.
Therefore,
he said continuous engagement with sectoral operators and stakeholders would
help SON to carry everybody along in the zero tolerance to substandard, fake
and counterfeit products campaign.
He
Said: “One major way of bringing the players on board the standards and quality
voyage is through sensitization and enlightenment.
You
may wish to recall that similar forums have been organised by the SON in recent
times across the country.
However,
the need for continuous and robust engagement of stakeholders in order to ease
the challenges involved in standards enforcement and monitoring compliance necessitates
the conveyance of today’s programme. The end, they say, justifies the means.”
While
recognising the presence of the Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents
(ANLCA), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders
(NAGAFF) and other key stakeholders in the Maritime Sector at the forum, he
said stakeholders continuous support and collaboration with SON is most
essential in the fight against the importation of substandard products and the
attendant dangers to lives and properties, as well as the economy of the
country.
He
said the critical roles in the Maritime Sector cannot be over emphasized as the
link or intermediaries between the importers and the regulatory authorities.
He
said SON therefore look forward to a more robust and lasting collaboration that
will continuously create the much-desired awareness in the activities and
import requirements of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.