Apr 27, 2009 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, may just be waking up to its responsibilities of ensuring that substandard products are not imported into the country as it recently engaged the services of TUV International (Germany) and SGC (France) to assist in checking the influx of substandard goods into the country.

Dr. John Akanya, Director General of SON, while signing on the two agencies said the two would assist SON in checking the influx of substandard goods into the country, and to encourage genuine foreign manufacturers to trade with Nigeria.

According to him, the organisation had introduced SON's Conformity Assessment Programme (Soncap to check certain regulated products imported into the country).

Soncap, he stressed, is designed for all products targeted for the Nigerian market from all parts of the world. The programme which was introduced more than five years ago was approved by the Federal Government and, with the support and encouragement of the Nigerian people, particularly other regulatory and security agencies like NAFDAC, Customs, the programme is not only succeeding, but is regularly undergoing review for improved impact. A local version of it, the Mandatory Conformity Assessment programme, was also introduced for all locally manufactured products.

Besides, SON had introduced online products certificate validation to achieve the importation of quality products into the country,

According to him, the customs, banks and CBN could easily access the validated certificate online to protect local manufacturers from unhealthy competition.

He said that the organization has trained some banks executives and stakeholders on the application of the system and that the aim was to ensure importation of quality products into the country.

He said that the scheme was a shift from the old order of allowing the influx of substandard goods into the country.

According to him, the new method will enable Customs, banks and CBN access the validated certificate online before allowing the goods into the country.

Besides, he said that the method would boost trade and protect local manufacturers from unhealthy competition.

Akanya said that the new scheme would drastically reduce the destruction of substandard products which had caused the country huge capital flight.

He called for total compliance with the scheme to achieve the desired benefits adding that the scheme would aid the government destination inspection objective.

"SON only destroys goods that are dangerous to lives and properties and cannot be rectified, such as food items, cables, fake textiles, candles, among others," he said.

"In 2008, SON was able to identify between good and bad goods through increased surveillance.

But if importers are able to do the right thing and import quality goods, we don't have to spend hard earned money to destroy them," he said.

"I appealed to importers to import standard goods to safeguard the lives of fellow citizens.

I also appeal to the press to help educate the people on how to identify fake goods and shun bad goods," Akanya said.

"We wish to importers of substandard products to have a change of heart or stand the risk of losing their hard-earned income on importation of such products that will end up being destroyed on arrival in Nigeria."

He noted that the organisation had made tremendous success in its operation, especially at the entry points in recent time, due to the assistance and collaboration given by the National Agency for Drug, Food Administration and Control, its sister organisation, and the Nigerian Customs Services in recent time.

Mr. Sebastian Doose, Director TUV Rheinland, said that with the firm's Hi-tech level of detecting fake product manufacturers face tough times.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Achike Udenwa, who was present during the event, applauded SON for exhibiting high professionalism in the conduct of its duty.

Udenwa said that the two standards service provider (SSP) was part of government efforts to increase easy access to standard service for exporting countries.

He described the influx of substandard goods into the country as a " a big hazard and economic sabotage".

The minister added that it was better to destroy 100 containers stocked with substandard products to save one life if possible.

"I have seen many things for myself and the manipulation employed by unscrupulous exporters to bring in fake product. I am better informed and the government will stop the act," he said.He tasked the two firms to ensure only quality products are imported into the country, adding that the two companies are widespread.

Buying substandard products has resulted in capital flight. Nigerians pay through their noses for products that do not serve the purpose for which they are purchased. There is now a miniature of every registered product from other countries solely made in China for Nigeria and other poor developing nations. There is hardly a product that does not have a 'Made in China's brand.

With the level of imports in the likes of motorcycles, handsets, baby walkers, pram and bouncers, baby toys, electric iron, television, video sets, VCD and DVD players, refrigerators, freezers, cameras, fans, cookers, fryers, generators clothing materials and shoes that come in different brands from China, that country has become a big drain on the pockets of Nigerians and the economy at large.Substandard products are not durable but are sold to the public only for them to mal-function after short usage, usually causing people to return to the market again to spend more money which, in turn, leaves the local economy to manufacturers abroad.

Also, the official trading structure put in place by the government with the set objectives of maximizing trade benefits for the nation has been ruptured in many cases. Smuggling has become the norm instead of the exception. Items on the prohibition lists of imports still find their way into the Nigeria market and little or no Custom duties are paid. This was the major reason why the Chinese market in Lagos, popularly called "China Town", was closed down in 2003, only to be re-opened not long after for undisclosed reasons.

Nigeria had, in 2007, asked retailers to hand over for destruction all imported toothpaste on their shelves after its food and drugs watchdog said it had discovered a harmful substance in a Chinese-made brand.

The order followed a spate of scares in the US about Chinese product, including seafood tainted with antibiotic and toothpaste and animal food ingredient containing toxic chemicals.

Imported substandard goods, sometimes, carry the brand name (pass off) of registered Nigerian products or, sometimes, a close variation. Examples of products that have suffered this fate are BIC biro and Jordan toothbrush. BIC biro, marketed by renowned company, CFAO, has a Chinese imitation known as BIG, looking like the original BIC and can easily be mistaken for it. Also Jordan toothbrush, produced by Rokana Industries, is at the receiving end of this Chinese invasion.

The Chinese started the importation of toothbrush called Jordan into the Nigerian market with the imported Jordan costing much less but also less durable. This made it easier for it to penetrate the Nigeria market and almost made Nigerian producers close shop.

<<Vanguard. Distributed AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). -- 04/28/2009>>