Smuggling responsible for influx of substandard products – SON
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has said that the attitude of most Nigerians towards imported goods has continued to fuel the influx of substandard products into the country.
The organisation’s head in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Mr. Paul Oke, told our correspondent that Nigerians’ quest for cheap foreign products was fuelling the replenishment of fake or substandard products in the Nigerian market.
According to Oke, the agency has commenced a vigorous sensitisation and awareness campaign in Ondo State to ensure that the problem is solved.
He said a sensitisation walk was staged in September and future events were slated to hold soon as part of measures to get Nigerians to change their attitude and insist on quality products.
Oke sad, “We Nigerians are encouraging the problem, we say because of the poverty level, but it is not helping us.
“Smugglers are also creating their own challenges as they continue to bring in substandard goods through our porous borders.
“We are doing a lot to arrest the situation. We are sensitising Nigerians to know and stand for their rights. Once they notify us of a substandard product that they purchased, we immediately go into the matter.”
He said the SON office in Ondo State, within the year, was handling a total of 25 cases of the sale of substandard products, while two of such cases had been taken to court
[Punch]