Operators, genuine device dealers and Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEMs) in Nigeria have challenged both the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to set an example on their crusade against lack of type-approval of devices in the market and proliferation of phones and other electronic devices by arresting offenders and following their prosecution to jail.
Experts and dealers who spoke to Business Hilights recently at the Computer Village, Ikeja, said it is only when both federal agencies achieve the feat of following at least one case to logical conclusion that Nigerians will begin to take them serious.
It would be recalled that few weeks ago, there were reports that NCC sealed the head office of Samsung on grounds of distributing non-type approved devices, but since after the release of a statement on the seal, nothing has been heard about that till now from the federal agency.
However, the director general of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma has warned fake dealers of electronic devices including phones and accessories to desist from the act or face the wrath of the law.
Aboloma, represented by Tersoo Orngudwem, director Product Certification at SON, while speaking on the importance of e-product registration at Computer Village, stated that Smartphones are communication necessity with direct impact in the socio-economic life of the country, but have high risk if not manufactured to desired specifications.
According to him, the recent influx of substandard phones, computers and accessories into the country has made such products to be classified by SON as life endangered products.
SON said “All of us are aware about the recent Executive Order by the Federal Government in which SON has been mandated to ensure strict compliance to quality of products which (phones and accessories) are enlisted both produced in/ imported into Nigeria market, ensuring quality of product apart from enabling ease of doing business and safety of lives, also ensures that consumers have value for money spent”.
Continuing, Aboloma averred that “through our surveillance team, the Agency has received information that some of dealers even go as far as cloning, faking and counterfeiting of phones.”
While appreciating the collaboration with Phone & Allied Products Dealers Associations, (PAPDA), SON mandated the union leaders to ensure that all its members importing phones, computers and accessories to within one month period commence the process of e-product registration of all their phones / accessories, as part in order to enable SON determine the product status and have a product data base for traceability.
SON further advised importers of branded phones to, within this period, liaise with product registration unit to work out modalities of factories’ inspection by SON’s officials in those countries where these phones and accessories are manufactured to ascertain and certify the qualities of these communication equipment and gadgets before shipping them down into the country.
