Examining SON’s renewed determination to crush substandard products
Nigeria’s bulging population is indisputably a big attraction for investors. With demography of almost 200 million people, 60 percent of which are under 35 years, the country unarguably provides a big market for any product.
It is home for manufacturers who make products that add value to the lives of citizens.
It is equally welcoming to importers who bring in products and commodities that enrich the Nigerian economy. It has created opportunities for both local and foreign investors to make good margins and expand operations.
In spite of the leverage provided by the Nigerian market, many unscrupulous elements are exploiting the economy negatively by giving the citizens fake and sub-standard products.
The death of the Nigerian minister of state for labour James Ocholi is still fresh in our memory. Ocholi, like many Nigerians, died in an accident because he used fake tyres imported by an unscrupulous businessman.
Many Nigerians have lost their lives to the avarice of dishonest citizens and foreigners whose stock-in-trade is to make profit by hook or by crook through the importation or production of goods and commodities that kill.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), a body tasked with the responsibility of checkmating the local production of and influx of substandard products or commodities into Nigeria, under the administration of Osita Anthony Aboloma, is determined to put the kibosh to this trend.
Aboloma is leading a silent revolution against substandard products the same way late Dora Akunyili stifled fake and substandard drug merchants.
Aboloma recently proved his grit by stopping two Chinese businessmen from inflicting harm on Nigerians through fake tyres.
It was at Satellite Town in Lagos in February this year, when Aboloma exposed two Chinese nationals Taolung Shen and Xu Jing Yau who imported fake tyres from their country with a view to making big money but causing havoc on Nigerians.
“SON Directorate of Compliance intercepted one of their trucks on the highway, tracked it and then got them. You can see the amount of danger that these people are posing to our people and our economy just because they want to make huge profit at the expense of the lives of Nigerians,” SON DG said, while conducting journalists round the warehouse.
The tyres were the largest seizure of substandard tyres in one swoop in the history of Nigeria as they were about two million and worth over N5 billion.
The tyres were the largest seizure of substandard tyres in one swoop in the history of Nigeria as they were about two million and worth over N5 billion.
The DG described the tyres as dead on arrival, stating the resolve of the agency to crush such death traps.
According to him, allowing them to enter the market amounted to secretly taking away the lives of millions of Nigerians.
The tyres were imported under brand names such as Powertrac, Aptany, Harmony, Duraturn, Bearway, City Tour, Winda, Glory, Chachland, Sunny (tricycle), City Grand, and Grandsonte, among others.
“We acted on the intelligence we received from well-meaning Nigerians. This was achieved as a result of inter-agency collaboration. The glory is not for SON alone. You can see the number of tyres brought in and you can imagine the implication for our society if these tyres are let into the market. We have over 60 containers of tyres- actually stuffed tyres to be precise.
Again, even if these are to be standard tyres, the fact that up to five of them were tucked into one, with operators using rods to separate them from one another when they got to Nigeria, the tyres will naturally become substandard here,” SON DG stated.
This may not be surprising given the clear template of the SON’s new DG when he assumed office.
On his assumption of office late last year, Aboloma made his stance on substandard products clear. According to him, the SON under him would work with investors to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria. He stated clearly that this would be done without compromise.
He stressed that he would work towards achieving synergy and cooperation from members of the public in order to fight the influx of substandard product into the Nigerian markets.
For a long time now, most of the bulbs imported from China to Nigeria have been proven to be sub-standard. The majority of people who spoke to BusinessDay recently on the hazards of Chinese products lamented that bulbs they bought hardly lasted for three weeks before replacement.
“If only we can have standards for these bulbs, importers will begin to think twice before bringing in products that are meant to rip us off,” said Ike Ibeabuchi, CEO of MD Services Limited.
Fully conscious of SON’s enormous responsibility of standardising and regulating quality of products in the country, the SON DG has wasted no time to make a statement in this area.
Fully conscious of SON’s enormous responsibility of standardising and regulating quality of products in the country, the SON DG has wasted no time to make a statement in this area.
In December 2016, Aboloma seized two containers of sub-standard energy-saving bulbs estimated at over N100 million. This was in continuation of its zero tolerance for substandard products with a view to protecting Nigerian consumers and safeguarding their lives.
SON, under Aboloma, did not just seize the container without doing due diligence. The products were subjected to conformity tests and it was found that the bulbs were consuming less power. Hence the importers were simply out to swindle Nigerians.
The SON, under Aboloma, is also keying into Nigeria’s commodity-based industrialisation, having developed a template for standardising rice seeds, milling, and drying and hygiene practices.
Represented by Barth Ugu, head of federal office, at the Nigeria Investment Forum organised by the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) in Abuja recently, SON’s boss emphasised that compliance with standards would ensure that Nigeria had zero rejection of its export products.
Hence the new SON DG minced no words that it was a taboo to reject commodities or products that leave Africa’s biggest market to other economies.
Aboloma is equally looking at the built industry to ensure that players meet standards. There have been several complaints about building practices which have, in the past, led to housing collapses. The new SON DG is ever determined to achieve zero housing collapse, having resolved to commence standard testing of sandcrete blocks across the country.
The SON late last year started deploying block testing machines in all of its offices across the country to checkmate production of substandard blocks across the country.
ODINAKA ANUDU