SON intensifies effort to curtail influx of substandard tyres in Nigerian markets

…sensitise retailers, distributors of product in Apo tyre market

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is intensifying efforts to curtail the influx of substandard tyres into the country’s market.

Speaking on Thursday while sensitising members of the tyre market in Apo, Abuja, the Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, lamented that expired or low-quality tyres are the major causes of tyre bursts, which largely account for road accidents in Nigeria.

He explained that product marketers must understand the safety role tyres play in vehicles’ movement on the roads.

Represented by Dr Marline Waziri, the Director of the North Central Region, Okeke stated that “we are here today to educate them about the importance of tyre safety. Most of them are distributors and also retailers.”

He said the sensitisation was also important to SON because “we have a campaign going on, the ‘Arrive alive’ campaign, and it starts from here.

“When you get it right from the sellers and distributors of the product, it will go a long way in ensuring that, the road users also have tyres that will be accident-free.”

SON also explained that “as we are all aware, we have African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). What we are trying to do is to educate our own tyre sellers and distributors because AfCFTA aims to create the largest single market which means we are going to have intra African trade.

“So, if there is intra African trade, there will be free flow of goods, persons and services which means tyres from other countries will come into Nigeria.

“If we continue with substandard tyres, it will knick the Nigerian tyre out of the market” the DG stated.

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In his goodwill message, CC Kunle Oguntonyibo, the representative of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), told the Tyre Market Association that “you are one of our most valuable stakeholders.”

He noted that “if we get it right here, we will solve part of the causes of accidents on Nigerian roads.”

Oguntonyibo cautioned the marketers on storage methods of tyres, urging them to ensure that the product was stored in a very neat and cool environment.

While welcoming SON into Apo tyre market, the Chairman of the market, Samuel Aka, commended the standards body for the initiative and promised to learn in order to improve the quality of tyres that come into the market.

He said, “Welcome to our meeting, you have come to tell us what is good, what is bad and what we don’t know, as a retailers or tyre sellers.”

The sensitisation visit is an ongoing campaign by SON to reduce the influx of substandard tyres into Nigerian markets.

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