The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) yesterday launched what it called trade portal aimed at ensuring that imported goods are of standard qualities. In a one-day stakeholders interactive forum on the maritime industry in Lagos, with the theme: Seamless Importation- Building Stakeholders’ Synergy and fostering trade without compromising standards, an overview of SON’s role in standards enforcement and building an enduring private/public partnership in the maritime sector, the organisation observed that fake products have flooded Nigeria’s markets.
Contained in a press statement made available to Blueprint by an official of ANLCA the organisation maintains, ‘It was generally agreed that Nigeria is awash with fake, substandard products that poses a great threat to the health of its citizens and the economy. Question is: How do these fake products get unchecked access to the nook and crannies of our country? The answer lies in us Nigerians who have responsibility to be vigilant and to ensure that these substandard products never gain entrance into our Nation, in the first place”.
According to the release “The effect of these products on our people and the economy is so massive that it will take a long time, and a patriotic zeal to checkmate. But, we can start by ensuring that integrity remains the watchword of stakeholders, especially the importers, who would want to make profits by all means”.
It said freight forwarding agents will collaborate with SON, with a view to supplying information on fake and substandard products being imported, and urged the Nigeria Customs to refuse releasing products that are substandard.
Present at the meeting were national president and members of ANLCA, trade associations, importers and management and staff members of SON.
