Can China reject orders from importers’ that do not meet Nigerian standards?
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) midweek announced the beginning of what many Nigerians described an unwinnable battle.
The battle is a deal to ensure that Chinese factories that produce items for Nigerian importers and manufacturers implement at least the minimum Nigerian standards for goods destined for the nation.
Addressing the media in Lagos, Special Assistant to the Chief Executive of SON, Chief Osita Aboloma, and Head of Public Relations, Mr Bola Fashina, said the emerging deal is part of new drive to check the menace of substandard goods in the country.
He revealed that discussion with the Chinese authorities was opened in June 2019 and had reached advanced stages even though he was economical with words on terms so far reached.
However, in an interview with some Nigerian importers on chances of taming the influx of substandard goods from China, they argued that it may not work because majority of SON examiners at the ports are always ready to compromise standards with importers, who are always willing to trade graft at the expense of imported fake products into Nigeria.
