Nigeria imported over N22.7bn substandard goods in 2018 —SON

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has revealed that in the last one year, over N22.7bn worth of substandard goods imported into the country has been seized or destroyed by the agency. This is even as the agency decried its absence at the nation’s ports.

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Disclosing this during a sensitisation workshop organised for maritime stakeholders in Lagos recently, the Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma stated that substandard products pose grave dangers to lives and properties, as well as the economy of the nation.

According to the SON DG, who was represented by a director, Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru, “The works of standardization, quality assurance as well as campaign against the menace of substandard products remains a collaborative and partnership endeavour among SON and its stakeholders.

“One major way of bringing the players on board the standards and quality voyage is through sensitisation/enlightenment.

“This workshop’s objectives include, providing a veritable avenue for cross-fertilization of ideas, views, suggestions and solutions on how to move the Nation’s maritime sector forward, especially in furtherance of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy relative to Electronic clearance, destination inspection and the on-going repositioning of the Nation’s Ports.

“The Nation’s economy and the lives of Nigerians are also further endangered due to the influx of substandard goods. It is worthy to note that the value of substandard products that the SON has seized in the past one year is estimated to be over N22.7 billion (both destroyed and awaiting destruction). Some of these products are tyres, electric cables; LPG cylinders; lubricants; communication cables; unfortified sugar, etc.