The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerian consumers to always insist on buying made-in-Nigeria products, saying that the action will aid in preventing the importation of fraudulent and subpar goods.
At a sensibilization event with the topic “Zero Tolerance for substandard products,” the Director-General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, stated that one reason for the flourishing market for substandard goods is consumers’ preference for imported items.
He argues that local businesses can provide for the needs of the country and exhorts Nigerian customers to constantly want only high-quality goods that are produced in Nigeria.
He underlined the agency’s dedication to safeguarding regional industries, describing them as genuine assets for generating income for the nation and job prospects.
He said this: “The local industry is essentially the heart of the nation and we are the heart of the industry and if the industry is doing well, Nigeria will be doing well.”
“We cry a lot about the depreciation of our currency. If our industries are doing very well, our currency will not fall. If we base our income based on one commodity, even the industry will not survive, because the naira will keep going down while the dollar will keep going up.”
According to him, the stakeholders’ forum’s goal is to reiterate SON’s policy of having no tolerance for subpar products in the nation.
“It is a life and death issue for our nation. It is a life and death issue for the industry. Every industrialist here understands what substandard goods do to their business and their bottom line,” Salim said.
The head of SON stated that he is anticipating a much greater engagement with local industry in the group’s battle to rid Nigeria of unhealthy products with no redeeming qualities.
“We are not ashamed to announce that we are partners in the sector, and as partners, we will support your success. International regulations prevent us from preventing imports, but we’ll safeguard local industries from unfair rivalry.
We will take care of the remainder, he promised, while asking this industry to cooperate with us at a higher level, exchange intelligence with us, and identify those who attempted to harm firms.
He emphasized the need to protect local investors who have made significant financial commitments to build businesses that will employ the hordes of unemployed youths in the country and stressed that these businesses have the potential to remove many Nigerian youths from the streets while also preventing youths from being used as agents of destruction.
“Any industry that survives in the current climate we are going through should be applauded, helped and now we are here to work with our partners to see where we can collaborate, where you can collaborate with us, where we can help you, where you can help us,” he said.
SON’s relationship with CAMAN, according to Mrs. Bukola Adubi, president of the Cable Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CAMAN), has been friendly. She also praised SON for its outstanding performance in the nation’s fight against inferior products.
She claimed that Nigeria’s cable is among the best in the world, a claim that would not be true without SON’s support of regional businesses.
She affirmed CAMAN’s commitment to manufacturing goods that fulfill the minimal criteria of the Nigerian Industrial Standard and promised to support SON in the country’s fight against substandard products (NIS).
According to Joseph Emoleke, Assistant Director, Membership Services, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), members and staff of MAN highly regard the Director General for his work and efforts to end the sale of subpar goods in the nation.
However, he urged SON to focus on the kinks in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the two parties had agreed upon for the growth of the country’s industrial sector.
“Manufacturers are willing to work with you. On our part, we have delisted members we found wanton. Many manufacturers are hesitant to join us because of our high standards,” she said.
