The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have identified the need for port industry players to adhere strictly to codes of ethics with utmost integrity, in order to facilitate trade and curtail the influx of substandard goods into the country.
Both agencies stated that about 80 percent of substandard cargoes that find their way into the nation are attributable to lack of integrity on the part of industry players. They called on players in the maritime sector to always carry out their activities in line with global best practices.
At a joint sensitisation workshop on ethics and integrity for maritime stakeholders held in Lagos by the SON and NSC, Osita Aboloma, director-general of SON, who was represented by the director, Compliance, Obiora Manafa said the partnership with NSC was in line with the Federal Government’s directive on synergy among its agencies to promote the ease of doing business and the fight corruption in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the workshop further exemplified the collaboration between SON and NSC, in ensuring effective service delivery to stakeholders.
Aboloma said adherence to code of ethics would ensure that customers and stakeholders receive services in a fair manner and provide necessary guidelines for adjudging the integrity of services rendered.
He added that SON has been proactive in ensuring that requisite standards are available for most products in the Nigerian markets, stressing that it has set up a regulatory framework for compliance with these standards.
He said the SON website is regularly updated with information on its activities, procedures, charges, penalties and policies in conformity with the presidential executive order on the ease of doing business.
He noted that human capacity building is also being seriously pursued to ensure necessary manpower and provide excellent services beyond the expectation of its clients in the maritime industry and other sectors of the economy.
Aboloma expressed concern over the unsavoury issues of false declarations, importation of substandard products or importation without undertaking the offshore conformity assessment (SONCAP) process that are still in practice, maintaining that SON has been battling tooth and nail to curtail these non-conformances.
“In line with our culture, we do hope that we shall find comfort in doing what is right at all times in order to save the nation from decadence and the dangers associated with the importation and distribution of substandard products in Nigeria,” he said.
Hassan Bello, executive secretary of NSC, said the seminar was aimed at ensuring that stakeholders adhere to international best practices in the conduct of their export and import businesses.
This, he noted, would help to actualise the NSC’s drive for a new port order, reduce costs, improve efficiency and combat the influx of substandard products.
He commended SON’s unwavering efforts to rid the country of substandard products, adding that the council’s goal was to promote an efficient ports system that would encourage healthy competition, enthrone transparency, facilitate trade, reduce cost of doing business and ensure that all players are aware of their duties, obligations, responsibilities and liabilities.
Bello said high ethical practices within the ports system would help minimise vices such as impunity, presumptuous behaviours and ignorance, with respect to adherence to procedures, rules and regulations.
Making a presentation titled ‘Role of SON in Nigeria’s Maritime Industry,’ Manafa acknowledged that most importers have begun to conform to standards in response to SON’s continuous engagements and sensitisation programmes on the negative implications of illicit trade to the economy and welfare of Nigerians.
“Although some importers have refused to change and are still indulging in unwholesome activities such as false declaration and cloning of established brands, we will continue to fight to reduce this nefarious trade drastically and bring perpetrators to book” he said.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
