As the influx of fake, sub-standard and adulterated products increases in the Nigerian market, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has asked the Federal Government to allow its presence at the nation’s ports and empower its officers and operatives to check and confiscate fake, adulterated and sub-standard goods discovered at the ports.
Farouk Salim, the Director-general of SON, who led a team of officials from the Agency on an inspection to KAM Holdings in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, expressed dismay over the increasing rate in which sub-standard and fake products is getting into the country without proper checks and screening.
“We need to physically be at the ports to ensure proper and effective checks and balances. It is only when we are at the ports that we will be able to access all containers bringing goods to our country and it will be easy for us to enforce our certification”, he said.
Salim, while demanding presence of SON officials at the ports just like Customs officers, Immigration officers, NDLEA officers, among others, said that going after sub-standard products all over the country rather than waiting for them at the ports and border stations, has been the major challenge to the regulators.
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Speaking earlier, Kamoru Yusuf, Chairman of KAM Holdings, a leading steel manufacturing company in Nigeria based in Ilorin, urged SON to invest more in technologies that will help rid the country of sub-standard steel products.
Yusuf, who commended the Federal Government, SON and Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN) for their efforts towards ensuring peaceful coexistence and conducive environment for indigenous manufacturers, noted “we appeal to our leaders, we know that CBN is doing their best but we want them to focus more on industries rather than trading.
“If they concentrate on industry, that is giving industrialists all the necessary support, we will be able to tackle some of our challenges and there will be no cause for sending our workers away.
“On our part, we assure you of quality products from our end to Nigerians and we are setting the pace for the upcoming manufacturers.”
