The Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Chief Osita Aboloma has revealed that the current trend of branding fake products from abroad as ‘Made in Nigeria’ is the most disturbing challenge of the agency.
In his presentation during a stakeholders’ forum tagged: “Ease of Doing Business & Exports: Imperatives of Standardisation” in Lagos he said, the agency is determined to fully implement the new policy and would therefore not tolerate false declarations from importers.
He therefore urged the importers and clearing agents to ensure full compliance with the Ease of Doing Business, and guide against malpractices that could compromise trade facilitation in the country.
Represented by the Director, Compliance and Enforcement at the agency, Bede Obayi, the DG noted that “We have always ensure that the policies of Ease of Doing Business is enforced, but we have been having issues whereby people import substandard products and expect us to give it express clearance”.
“We have some people that also bringing in manufactured products from another country and brand it made in Nigeria. We will not allow this to continue. We cannot sit down and allow Nigerians consume products that will kill them,” he said.
In his goodwill message, National President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche, hailed SON for the stakeholders’ forum, saying it was timely and designed to raise awareness on the dangers of the illicit act to the economy.
He said the danger is most suffered by local industries that are forced to compete with hard to identify fake ‘made in Nigeria’, but imported items.
However, in his argument, National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, announced that the Ease of Doing Business is a laudable project, but may not be achievable due to the poor business environment and corrupt practices by agencies at the ports.
According to him, “the federal government is putting the cart before the horse, because it should have fixed the ports access roads and empowers the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to regulate the sector before it can stand correct in driving ease of doing business at the ports”.
“All of these are pointing at the fact that we have people who are not capable at the helms of affairs that are why I am always accusing the customs of arm-twisting the importers. If the legal framework is done and the NSC can bite, also when the roads are fixed, then everything will fall into place and the Ease of Doing Business at ports will be progressive”.
SON assured the ports stakeholders of readiness to work with them in growing seamless port operations.
