BY CHIBUZOR ISICHEI
It is funny, but serious, that one finds it difficult to distinguish between fake and genuine products in the markets because many Nigerians love the shortcut to wealth. Yes, it appears that almost every product in the market today is fake, as they fail to meet quality standards and specifications. They are non-compliant, inferior, and defective and usually carry misleading and false labelling. Examples of substandard goods range from foodstuffs, electrical products and appliances, toys, drugs and even building/construction materials.
The Federal Government, not unaware of this, set up a regulatory body–the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in 1971 mainly to promote standardisation and quality assurance in Nigeria. The body is also to protect consumers and promote industrial development, address concerns about the poor quality of goods locally compared to imported ones and also to ensure that Nigerian products meet an acceptable standard and quality.
With this, by setting up SON, the Federal Government aimed to improve public health, boost economic growth and foster consumer confidence.
But hard as the Federal Government has tried to check the menace of substandard products, it is unfortunate that fake products have flooded the markets in alarming proportions.
Worried by this ugly development, the Delta State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Hon. Samuel Oligida, said that to curb the menace of substandard goods, tougher measures need to be put in place.
He said this during a courtesy call by delegates of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to the Ministry in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, adding that the visit aimed to discuss the continuous production of substandard products in the country.
In the same vein, the Director-General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, disclosed that the rapid collapse of buildings in the country has been traced to many factors, including the use of substandard building materials, particularly steel bars and rods. He revealed that traders tell manufacturers to produce inferior products, but the packaging remains the same.
Okeke explained that “A 12mm steel bar is less than 12metres and this gives the traders lesser tonnage and more profit, adding that concerning chemical components, mainly scraps used to produce rods, fake materials are used, thereby making the carbon content high, and this, he said, makes the rods break instead of supporting the building.
The Director-General of SON, therefore, sought collaboration with the Delta State Government to fight the menace and also for the enforcement of the laid down rules and regulations, stressing that “there are rules guiding these things, but because of the craze for quick money, people breach the rules and regulations.
To reduce fake products in the markets, the Delta State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Hon Samuel Oligida, suggested that mobile courts be put in place for speedy prosecution, adding that this will serve as a precedent for punishing those caught faking products.
Oligida said that to improve its performance, the SON could consider enhancing transparency and accountability, increasing awareness and strengthening enforcement of the rules, adding that there is a need to collaborate with stakeholders, review and update standards, and review strategies.
He opined that by implementing the strategies, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON) can enhance its performance, promote quality and safety and support Nigeria’s economic development.
Lifestyle sought the views of a cross-section of society on why substandard products are still flourishing in the markets. A self-employed Mr Williams Okafor in Asaba traced it mostly to a lack of effective regulation, high demand for cheap products, counterfeiting and piracy, limited awareness and largely corruption.
He lauded the Federal Government for setting up the regulatory Agency (SON), adding that it would perform if the same government wants it to perform well. According to him, ‘’a visit to the shops would reveal the lapses in society because the shop owner will show you the fake and the price is far cheaper than the genuine. And because of the poverty level, the buyer goes for the cheaper ones without minding the consequences.’’ Here, he said two things are involved: poverty and ignorance.
He said that substandard products are often patronised by price-conscious consumers, low-income households, small businesses and unscrupulous sellers, pointing out that the victims are children, the elderly and low literacy consumers.
Mr Okafor said that it is essential for consumers to be aware of potential risks involved in purchases, adding that ‘’it is not going to be easy in a society such as ours, where illiteracy is very high.’’
He is of the view that substandard products would be reduced in the markets if the Agency does its job efficiently and effectively, asking ‘’If it worked other places, why will it not work in Nigeria?”
He stressed the need for the enforcement of the rules by the officials of SON, and the results will come.
