In furtherance of its official responsibility, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has seal an understanding with the leadership of the International Market Association Electronics (IMAE), Alaba International, Ojo LGA of Lagos State to end the influx of Substandard and fake electronic products.
Business Hilights gathered that part of the understanding is the setting up a joint taskforce in the implementation of the Zero tolerance in fake electronics in the market.
Addressing the traders during the meeting and sensitization workshop, the
“Substandard and fake electronic gadgets cause lots of hazards including, electrocution, deaths, injuries, loss of revenue, among others. We seek your contribution as worthy stakeholders in this fight against sub-standard products. We urge you to avoid noncompliant trade,” he said.
Director General of SON, Chief Osita Aboloma, represented by the Director, DG’s office, Engr. Yahaya Bukar noted that the taskforce earlier proposed by the association has been approved by SON as the agency was interested in the partnership.
He asserted that the engagement was one of SON’s approach to fight the war against substandard products from within.
Chief Aboloma further encouraged the importers to approach SON to enable them brand their manufactured products with their brand-names rather than using labels of already established foreign brands.
Aside formation of the taskforce, SON used the gathering to create awareness on SON activities with SON officials making presentations on Standards, SON CAP, Ports and Borders, Product Registration, Laboratory Services, MANCAP and Inspectorate and Compliance.
Responding, President of IMAE, Pastor Paulinus Ugochukwu welcomed the regulatory activities of SON and declared support for the achievement of target results of the taskforce.
Continuing, he raised concerns on the challenge of power supply and the deplorable access roads to the Alaba International market.
Commenting on the negative impacts of border closure since August 2019, Pastor Ugochukwu called for a review of the policy, saying it has created more harm than good to the ailing economy as many border dependent businesses have gone under.
Explaining more on the theme; “Promoting Self-Regulation to Eradicate Substandard Electronics from Nigerian Markets” the president commended the high degree of stakeholders’ engagement by SON to sanitize and rid Nigeria of substandard products.
According to him, “As an association, we understand the profitability and benefits of the objectives of SON and having collaborated with them in the past, we already have in existence a committee whose duty is to ensure the prohibition of substandard products in the market and we hope to do more in achieving this goal.”
