SON Destroys Substandard Goods Worth N500m

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed fake and substandard goods worth N500 million.

The agency said the destroyed substandard products which is 80 per cent electricity cables in nine trucks worth N500 million were collected from various points at the ports and border stations.

Speaking at the destruction exercise in Sagamu dumpsite in Ogun State, the head, Inspectorate/Compliance, Mr Bede Obayi, “we have carried out our tests on the products and failed. We need to evacuate and destroy them completely as they pose dangers to life and ruin to the nation’s economy.”

He explained that the products were burnt in accordance with SON’s procedure which started with market survey, surveillance, inventory, seizure, sampling, laboratory tests and analyses to ascertain conformity to specifications and requirements of the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS).

He said, “It is disheartening that despite all efforts carried out by the agency to sensitive the citizenry on the negative effects of fake and substandard goods, the merchants continue to engage in the illicit trade.”

Obayi pointed out that the SON is committed to zero tolerance against substandard products, saying that this destruction is to serve as notice to unscrupulous importers that the SON are not relenting in wiping off substandard products in the country. “We are going to intensify our efforts to ensure that these kinds of products do not circulate in the Nigerian markets and importers desist from it,” he said.

He noted that the implementation of the National Quality Policy (NQP) by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would accelerate the global competitiveness and high rate of acceptability of locally produced goods because they will be certified of meeting the quality and standard requirements in Nigeria.

He pointed out that the agency would continue to make stringent efforts to showcase Nigerian products at the global arena, saying, “We cannot allow fake and substandard goods, mainly imported from overseas, to kill the nation’s economic revitalisation dream.